Drug trends differ from campus, town

The number of reported drug violations on campus has been getting higher and higher during the past year. However, off campus, area police have seen a slight decrease in the number of drug violations.

"We have seen an increase (in drug violations)," said Dwight Smith, supervisor of University Police Services. "It started about three years ago, and it has been pretty consistent."

Since Dec. 2, University police have responded to 16 nonconcert-related incidents involving drugs. During that time, 10 people were charged with drug possession, Smith said. The most common drug the University police deal with is marijuana, Smith added.

Additional incidents were recorded by the University police during the Phish concert in December, Smith said. Seven more charges occurred during the concert and an additional 26 incidents involving 40 people were recorded that night.

- Sgt. John Wilson, State College police department

The increase in drug violations could be a result of University police's educational programs, more people willing to report violations or an increase in the drug violations themselves, he said.

The State College Police Department, however, has seen a slight decrease in the number of drug violations during the last two years -- from 183 in 1996 to 172 in 1997.

"It is not a large statistical difference," said State College police Sgt. John Wilson. "You would have to look at a 10-year span to really make a determination about it."

Most of the incidents University police recorded were reported by people in the dorms who smelled marijuana. University police also caught people smoking marijuana or in possession of marijuana, Smith said.

Included in the statistics is Professor Emeritus Julian Heicklen's drug violation last Thursday during his second protest in front of the University Gates, Smith said.

University police employ several tactics to curb drug use on campus. In addition to educating dorm staff, the University police "aggressively enforce the laws," Smith said.

But the success of the educational programs on campus is hard to determine, Smith said.

"If there are no drug violations, is that success? I don't think so," Smith said.

However, Wilson said the State College drug statistics for the last two years are not an indication of an increasing or decreasing trend of drug use.

"It is our interpretation of the law that possession or selling of marijuana is a violation," Wilson said.

Wilson could not comment on the tactics used by State College police to reduce drug use, but he said police are not employing any new tactics in addressing the crimes.