<p>See this:South</a> Bend Tribune: ND students arrested as excise officers raid S.B. home</p>
<p>the thing about these raids and arrests of students is that they come amid multiple reports each week of students being assaulted and robbed while off-campus. That is why the perception by students is that the SBPD should be spending more time cracking down on real crime. And taking students to jail for having any amount of alcohol whatsoever(1 beer or 20 beers) is seen as somewhat excessive. Even student government is planning to address this issue this year. I'm not saying that police should turn a blind eye to this, but with NDSP especially, they need not be as overly aggressive as they have been.</p>
<p>I think no matter how hard they try, they aren't going to put an end to drinking...football and beer are like peanut butter and jelly. One without the other is just weird.</p>
<p>Perhaps now at least some students will get the message -- if you are truly the responsible adults you claim to be, then those of you who are underage will consume your alcoholic beverages in a manner unlikely to annoy the neighbors and cause them to call the police. That means you don't stuff 60 people into a small house, you don't toss the empty beer bottles in the street, you don't open all the window and serenade your neighbors with loud music at 2 am, and you don't urinate or vomit in the street or behind the bushes. Oh yes, and you don't drive or even walk home if you've gone over your limit.</p>
<p>Let's just hope that the South Bend Police will also be just as vigilant in protecting students against robbery, assault and theft as well!</p>
<p>NOTRE DAME AL -</p>
<p>You have consistently mentioned crime against ND students(robbery, assault and theft) in this thread. I was just wondering - has your son been a victim of a crime while on campus? What exactly are the statistics of crime occuring against ND students?</p>
<p>As for the drinking issue - the legal drinking age is 21 years old. If you aren't 21, then it is illegal. If you choose to drink and the alcohol makes you act like an obnoxious idiot, then deal with the consequences if you get caught disrupting the community and don't whine about it.</p>
<p>I agree with CLAREMARIE.</p>
<p>My brother is at ND, and the policy in his dorm is that alcohol is not allowed in the halls. Dorm rooms, fine, no matter how old you are or what you're drinking (school rule is no hard alcohol). They're pretty lax about underage drinkers. Some of the off-campus parties get busted by the police, but it doesn't seem like it's a huge problem.</p>
<p>I too agree with Claremarie--and no, son has not had any issues with crime, thank goodness! However, I do pay attention to the newspaper. Yes, enforcement of the law is something that I believe should be occurring. But, that knife cuts both ways; crime is crime whether it be alcohol or assault. I still feel that there is also negativity by the community toward ND students and that perhaps in some cases of crime against students, they have indeed been targeted. Now, I am not saying that the entire community is negative toward the students. Why all of a sudden is there this push to round up students and alcohol? I would also like to see a push against the crime that has existed off campus as well. That's all--it is my understanding that the ND security can provide info about crime on campus (statistics) on a daily basis. Perhaps students or other parents know about this? Of course, that info is on-campus issues. I don't know if SB police offers this type of info regularly for the public (statistics).</p>
<p>Also, If you don't drink alcohol, and it makes you a self-righteous punk, then you might not have any friends. Deal with it. </p>
<p>Me having 3 beers on a Friday night should be of less concern to real police officers, then say, somebody picking up a Notre Dame student, beating the crap out of them, and leaving them for dead on the side of a country road (Happened to one of my friends. Perpetrators were never caught, but the police were able to arrest probably upwards of 50 other ND students that weekend for becoming moderately buzzed in the company of friends).</p>
<p>DANBRENN -</p>
<p>Can someone not drink alcohol and not be considered a "self-righteous punk"?</p>
<p>The legal drinking age is 21 years old. A very large population of the under 21 crowd drinks - I get it. What makes me angry is how they all feel that they are entitled to drink regardless of the law. DANBRENN - I am sorry about your friend but putting that incident aside for the moment - Are the police supposed to look the other way when a group of 50 underage ND students are becoming "moderately buzzed in the company of friends"? Give me a break! How is that for an example of entitlement!</p>
<p>Yes, if they do it because of personal beliefs, and not in order to put themselves upon a virtuous pedestal from which to cast down upon the poor and misguided common man their wise if not pretentious criticism.</p>
<p>I don't feel entitled. I am saying that I feel the police should prioritize.</p>
<p>True, the legal drinking age is 21. And yes, some people do get drunk and make a nuisance of themselves. But some don't. Most of my friends drink and most of them are underage. However, they are never a danger to the community. No one is going to be killed or hurt in any way because of their underage consumption. Rarely will anyone ever be so much as inconvenienced by their drinking. If people are drinking responsibly, then the only people it affects are the people drinking and the liquor stores/cabs who make money off of them. If people drink too much and become a danger to others, then they deserve to be arrested, regardless of their age. And if there are legitimate noise complaints from neighbors, etc, then something should be done. But when cops choose to stop and bust a party because they drive by and see college-age people drinking, its just a waste of their efforts. And why waste limited community resources on arresting people who have done nothing that will affect others? Especially when South Bend has crime rates (we're talking murder, rape, theft, assault, etc) higher than the national average. Doesn't South Bend owe it to the people they are supposed to protect (both ND students and South Bend residents) to spend their time and money actually protecting them? </p>
<p>Sure, underage drinking is against the law. But so is driving a few miles over the speed limit or jaywalking- and who hasn't done that? I personally think the drinking age should be lowered for a variety of reasons, but, that aside, we have to focus on the reasons behind these laws. Does driving 5 miles over the speed limit when there's no traffic endanger others? No. Does driving 30 miles over the speed limit in a residential neighborhood where small children are playing endanger others? Yes. What is more important- the letter of the law or its purpose- to protect the community?</p>
<p>Sorry, Shellzie, but I have to disagree with you. </p>
<p>"The harm caused by alcohol consumption among college students may exceed previous estimates of the problem. Researchers report that unintentional fatal injuries related to alcohol increased from about 1,500 in 1998 to more than 1,700 in 2001 among U.S. college students aged 18-24. Over the same period national surveys indicate the number of students who drove under the influence of alcohol increased by 500,000, from 2.3 million to 2.8 million. The new findings appear in the 2005 issue of the Annual Review of Public Health, now online at <a href="http://arjournals.annualreviews.org/loi/publhealth">http://arjournals.annualreviews.org/loi/publhealth</a>."</p>
<p>Far too many students fool themselves into thinking that drinking is no big deal, and no one gets hurt. But lots of students do get hurt. In addition to the fatalities, about half of all sexual assaults of college women involve alcohol. And do their parents simply accept the consequences of these stupid decisions by their children? Well, many parents look for someone to blame, and the university is a logical target. That's why universities such as Notre Dame are "cracking down" on alcohol abuse, whether on- or off-campus. Students who resent this treatment, and complain that they are being unfairly targeted, should save their anger for their classmates whose stupid behavior has triggered increased university and police enforcement.</p>
<p>Personally, I do not see a point in underage drinking. Like shellzie said, rules are meant to protect the community, but I also think they are meant to protect us from ourselves and our own naivety and immaturity. No one needs to drink to have fun, unless they convince themselves otherwise. How do any of us here know, however, just how much focus SB Police are really putting on underage drinking? I highly doubt that they are simply ignoring most acts of violence, rape, homicide, and other serious crimes just to target college students. I even doubt that they would ever choose to put more emphasis on college parties (particularly ND parties) just for more revenue. It doesn't sound remotely plausible; they've got enough they need to deal with, and certainly SB citizens would become upset if they noticed a decrease in the persecution of murderers and other criminals (police are SB citizens,too--they'd want to keep their own families safe). Sometimes our perception on a situation is highly biased, at which point we ought to carefully consider why we believe what we do. When we don't have all the evidence, we cannot form a rational or justified conclusion.</p>
<p>Just my 2 cents. I'm not out to offend anyone, honestly. And if I did, I truly apologize. Perhaps we can all just learn to give each other grace :)</p>
<p>Why, after son's attendance at ND for 2 years, has this suddenly become an issue? Has the South Bend police dept suddenly come in to some money to be specifically used for alcohol enforcement? I highly doubt it given the state of our economy these days. Is it perhaps the media that has just now begun to focus on the fact that SB police are enforcing the law? Again, as I stated earlier, crime is crime whether it be alcohol or assault, etc. I would like to see enforcement/protection for both EQUALLY!</p>
<p>Why does it matter that the South Bend police dept is now increasing their focus on underage drinking from two years ago?? Why would this be a cause of concern for any parent? Why would any parent be annoyed at this situation of increased monitoring on underage drinking in the community? How do you know that the South Bend police aren't enforcing all types of crimes equally? Just because the police happen to raid an underage off-campus drinking party doesn't mean that they aren't also enforcing other crimes that are occuring in the community. As a parent, I am glad that the South Bend police are enforcing the underage drinking law - I just don't unerstand why any other parent would take issue with this situation.</p>
<p>NSTAR19 - I agree with your post. It is very well -stated.</p>
<p>Its Just Over The Top
Kids Are Kids And These Students Are Stilljust Kids
Many Grew Up In Sheltered Environments Abd Some Do Goofy Things Once They Have A Little Bit Of Freedom
But Its All Part Of Growing Up
The School And Community Is Unrealistic And Its Going To Become More And More Problematic
Expectations Are Unreasonable
I Am Alll For Disciplinary Action But This Is More Punitive
It Will Eventually Hurt The School
No Offense To Anyone But You Really Have To Be Realistic
It Would Be Best If The School And Community Leveled Some Community Service At The Kids Rather Than Arresting Them
Question: Are Students Ever Expelled For "party Like" Behavior?</p>
<p>So Sorry For The Above Errors
Faulty Keyboard</p>