While it has its detractors, Dartmouth's progressive alcohol policy has long allowed students to imbibe safely. Still, however, students occasionally exceed their limits, putting themselves at serious risk.
This risk is further compounded when the prospect of arrest and legal repercussions arises. While the College's Good Samaritan Policy has proved to be an important step forward in promoting student health and safety, the benefits of this policy are undermined when Hanover Police arrests students who need medical attention as a result of their drinking.
Although we have written on this topic before ("From Robinson Hall: Better Samaritans," July 11, 2008), our implicit assumption has always been that Hanover Police, while unfortunately discouraging students from assisting their intoxicated friends, has at some level been operating with its hands tied. If the police had no choice but to enforce the law to its fullest extent by arresting these students, then criticism of that policy would have been unfounded.
A recent article ("Dartmouth students face high alcohol arrest rate," May 12), however, indicates that Hanover Police can exercise more discretion. A study of police forces in college towns with alcohol laws similar to Hanover's found that "Hanover Police is the only police force interviewed by The Dartmouth that regularly follows ambulances."
More than anything, these findings challenge the idea that Hanover Police is "just doing its job" in arresting students who require transportation via ambulance to the hospital. While Hanover Police Chief Nicholas Giaconne has said, "Our job is to enforce the law. We're not going to shy away from our responsibility," other police chiefs view the situation differently. In an e-mail to The Dartmouth, Durham Police Chief David Kurz wrote, "If a person is near death for getting this drunk and needs hospitalization, what more can we do to correct that behavior by arresting them?"
We believe that the Hanover Police should follow the example set by its counterparts. While underage drinking is certainly a violation of the law, and underage students should indeed be arrested if caught drinking, there is no reason to further endanger the lives of seriously ill students by introducing further hurdles to their treatment. Under the existing system, students too often hesitate before calling for help, or ask their friends not to call for help due to the possible legal consequences. While Hanover Police officers should certainly be permitted to accompany ambulances -- as Hanover Town Manager Julia Griffin has noted, officers from time to time are needed to ensure the safety of the paramedics -- there is not always a need for the officers to incite legal action.
The safety of many members of the Dartmouth community depends on a fully functional Good Samaritan Policy, and we hope that Hanover Police can recognize that fact. Discretion, it appears, is an option.
