Police chief outlines plans for semester, alcohol enforcement goal

-- Tom King, State College police chief

Furnishing alcohol to minors, false IDs and public drunkeness are the most common alcohol-related violations in the area, he said. Night watch officers are instructed to question anyone who appears to be overly intoxicated and will be given the time to fully investigate any matter.

"We want people to comply with the law, instead of trying to find ways around it," King said.

Last year, State College police kicked off their 1997 efforts with "Operation Lucky Charm." King said the purpose of the operation was to enter bars and to see who was drinking underage. The borough did five such events, King said, leading to numerous arrests.

"None of our preaching has been to abstinence, just to drink legally," King said.

Despite this, some students feel that given this is a college town, drinking is just part of the territory.

"I think they were really hard on partying last semester," Tara Boyts (junior-psychology) said. "People were really afraid to go out."

While these policies are unpopular, King said they are not totally directed towards the student population.

"Most of the positive in the community, and yes, some of the negative, is because of the students," King said. "Only 3 to 4 percent of the student body are real troublemakers."

In 1995, about 560 students were arrested two or more times, King said.

To aid officers in their efforts, a new computer system funded primarily by federal and state grants, along with the University, will be placed in both State College and University Police Services vehicles, King said.

The computers placed in the vehicles will give officers access to a database to obtain information about any suspect they may be questioning. Also, the system allows officers to do reports in the field and can be logged on-line directly from the patrol cars.

"This will allow our officers more time in the field, and the longer they are in the field, the more eyes there are to watch over the community," King said.

Because of other state and federal grants, last year State College police in cooperation with the Pennsylvania State Police held an average of one to two sobriety checkpoint nights each month.

King said he feels it is important students know their civic responsibilities at an early age and has met with University officials to discuss the incorporation of the laws of the State College area in the orientation process.

"I think the University recognizes the need to tell students about the community they are moving into," said Ann McLaren, a member of the University Orientation Group, which organizes new student orientation.

University officials support King's idea, saying the only issue left for debate is where to incorporate these new ideas into an already heavily loaded orientation schedule.

"It's a real issue," McLaren said. "There is so much important information to give to new students, the question is how do we incorporate these messages on civic responsibility, but not give students so much information at once it all seems like a blur? Right now, it's still open-ended."