Students arriving at Duke for the fall semester were in for a rude awakening when they ventured out to the first parties of the year: agents of North Carolina’s Alcohol Law Enforcement issuing scores of citations for violations of drinking laws.
One hundred and ninety-four people were cited by ALE agents at bars, houses and stores around Duke’s campus last week, Jeff Lasater, the ALE Raleigh district supervisor said. Most of those cited were Duke students.
One hundred and fifty-nine people were cited with possession of alcohol by a person under the age of 21. Citations for use of a fictitious identification were given to 22 people, and 13 received citations for aiding and abetting underage persons and possession of alcohol.
Several students interviewed said that in the past, they have worried about members of the Durham and Duke police departments issuing citations. This year, however, students have reported ALE—a division of the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety—breaking up parties off East Campus and stationing themselves at local stores that sell alcohol to identify people breaking drinking laws.
Lasater confirmed that ALE agents were stationed at Kroger and Food Lion grocery stores on Hillsborough Rd., a BP station on the corner of Main and Ninth Sts., Satisfaction Restaurant and Bar in Brightleaf Square and George’s Garage on Ninth St. Agents also responded to complaints from neighbors in residential areas off campus.
“The community groups have been very instrumental,” said Ken Pike, assistant director of ALE. “They are very good about notifying the police when these parties and activities are taking place.”
Lasater said the largest party ALE responded to occurred at 1206 W. Markham Ave. Wednesday night. Ninety-one citations were issued: 87 for underage possession of alcohol and four for aiding and abetting.
The dramatic increase in enforcement from past years caught many students by surprise—as did the methods agents allegedly used to issue citations. Several students, for instance, reported that ALE used undercover agents to catch people in the act of illegally using or buying alcohol. Lasater refused to confirm whether undercover agents were used.
Students also reported as many as 15 agents surrounding houses, sealing the exits and keeping people inside for up to three hours until all IDs had been checked, breathalyzer tests administered and citations issued.
“They did a pretty good job swarming us,” said sophomore Trisha Cubb, who received a citation for underage possession of alcohol at an off-campus house Saturday night. “They were, like, refusing information. They wouldn’t tell you what would happen if you refused a Breathalyzer. It was like out of a movie.”
Though unacceptable to many students, ALE’s alleged methods have made some people think twice about using fake IDs or partying off campus.
“The past two nights I didn’t go to off-campus parties because I didn’t want to get written up twice in the first week of school,” said freshman Amy Benzyk, who was cited for underage possession of alcohol at 1206 Markham Ave. “Everyone I’ve talked to... is a lot more hesitant. It’s just ridiculous.”
Pike said enforcement is increased annually at the beginning of the school year near universities across the state because it is “prime time” for violations of drinking laws. He said the current zero tolerance policy students have experienced around Duke, however, will not disappear anytime soon.
“They will continue these operations throughout the year,” Pike said of the ALE agents’ efforts. “If students choose to break the law, they must suffer the consequences.”
Though parties were regulated more heavily this weekend than any other in recent memory, some off-East social events were citation-free.
Durham Police Department officers stopped at a house on the corner of Markham Ave. and Gregson St. Friday night, but no citations were issued. Senior Tom Musgrave, who lives in the house, said that after arriving, the officers were “talking about citing and arresting people.”
“We didn’t try to argue with it, but we said we were sorry and that we’d calm it down a little, and they just left,” Musgrave said.
Despite such exceptions, the overall increase in enforcement has many students questioning the future of Duke’s social life, both on and off campus.
“They way he looked at me was like he was implying there was going to be no off-campus social life anymore,” Cubb said of the ALE agent who cited her.
Associate Dean for Judicial Affairs Stephen Bryan said he was unaware of the crackdown but added that the University will respond to each citation it receives a copy of by communicating with the involved students.
Several students reported that on-campus enforcement of drinking laws was lax during orientation week, but the administration said it is not ready to play host to large parties where students drink illegally.
“We are not going to be open to large numbers of underage students drinking on campus,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta. “What we need is a redefinition of social life.”
Echoing Moneta, Claire Robbins, campus community organizer of BlueSPARC, a division of the Dean of Students Office that aims to reduce the negative consequences of alcohol consumption and has collaborated with ALE to curb dangerous drinking activities off campus, said students should seek safe and healthy partying alternatives.
“I think there are proactive ways to have the events [students] want to have and not get in trouble,” Robbins said.
Josh Parker, a local community activist and former resident of the Trinity Park neighborhood off East, said the administration could do more to give students social outlets on campus.
“The administrators are going to have to seriously look at what opportunities they are providing to students,” Parker said. “The students and administrators need more communication about how [those opportunities] can happen.”
Moneta also noted that Last Day of Classes and tailgating—events that traditionally feature large-scale underage alcohol consumption on campus—will need to be reviewed.
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