The ASU Police Department and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office will begin on-campus alcohol enforcement in Tempe residence halls Thursday, police officials said.
ASU Police Spokesman Cmdr. Jim Hardina said plain-clothed officers from both police departments will deal with loud parties and make arrests related to underage drinking in residence halls.
“August and September are the busiest of the school year, especially as it relates to alcohol,” Hardina said. “We’re trying to send the message that alcohol abuse is not tolerated.”
The drinking-enforcement shifts will take place on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. for three consecutive weeks, Hardina said.
Sgt. Paul White of the sheriff’s office said law enforcement wants to “set the tone” to curb poor decision making about alcohol use by ASU students.
“Through the years we’ve seen that those decisions affect people’s lives,” White said. “We want to be able to help those people to make a better decision.”
The sheriff’s office will also be working with several other East Valley law enforcement agencies to enforce any alcohol-related violations, White said.
Hardina said the weekend enforcement is funded by a grant from the governor’s office to enforce underage drinking laws.
The program was introduced briefly during the spring semester, Hardina said, in which between 30 and 40 drinking-related arrests were made in one weekend.
“If you don't get the message not to drink while underage, you’re going to be caught and arrested,” Hardina said.
Communications freshman Daniel Reece, a resident of Hassayampa Academic Village, said he might be cautious about partying over the next few weeks.
“I might be extra careful, but I think we all know what everyone does in college,” Reece said. “Kids are always going to find a way around it, but I think it’s good to have that authority there.”
Hardina warned that a “zero-tolerance” approach to alcohol will be implemented, and even underage students who are transported to hospitals from drinking will still be subject to citations.
The Tempe Police Department will be operating an alcohol-enforcement detail on the same days as the ASU Police and the sheriff’s office on the same state grant, but the Tempe Police Department will be enforcing alcohol laws outside of the ASU campus, including at nearby apartment complexes, Hardina said.
Reach the reporter at mhendley@asu.edu