Late last Wednesday night a Mid-Fayerweathers fire alarm was accidentally set off. It was a small and, it turned out, inconsequential event.
But both the Hanover Police and Dartmouth's Safety and Security cruised onto the scene. Both went inside. And both stayed until the fire trucks arrived.
While the Dartmouth community's two public safety outfits -- the Hanover Police Department and the College's Safety and Security -- often appear to act in sync, patrolling similar events and aiding each other in investigations, their actual relationship is highly informal.
The two agencies have no explicit agreements, nor do they meet at regularly set intervals. They have no clearly defined jurisdictions and neither takes orders from the other. Nonetheless, they frequently cooperate in cases as mundane as underage drinking and as startling as the stabbing deaths of two Dartmouth professors in 2001.
The main difference between the two organizations is that only Hanover Police has the power of arrest and can carry weapons, neither of which are available to Safety and Security.
"S and S is not a police force," Senior Associate Dean of the College Dan Nelson said.
But the differences between the two organizations go even farther than their ability to put students in handcuffs.
Just like every other police force across the country, the Hanover Police has one distinct responsibility: to enforce state and local statutes.
Because Dartmouth's campus falls within the town limits, the Hanover Police force is in charge of the area. Its responsibilities on campus are the same as with any other private property or residence within the town limits.
"When crimes are reported we become involved no matter where they occur," Chief of Police Nick Giaconne said. "If the crime does occur on campus we always consult Dartmouth Safety and Security, but in situations where a crime occurred we are the lead investigator."
Safety and Security, unlike the Hanover Police, limits its jurisdiction to the Dartmouth campus, where it deals with offenders of Dartmouth regulations -- as opposed to local or state law.
"When they respond, their responsibility is to administer any necessary medical assistance and determine if any Dartmouth [rules] have been broken," said Julia Griffin, Hanover town manager. Then Safety and Security officers "ascertain whether the assistance of the Hanover Police is needed."
However, Giaconne clarified that there is a specific legal situation in which Safety and Security would be required to inform the police.
"Safety and Security's only obligation to report to the police is if they aid, assist or help a person injured by a criminal act," said Giaconne. "Other than that it is at their discretion."
Since many Dartmouth regulations often correspond to state laws, students violating College policies sometimes put themselves at risk for being caught by either organizations, depending on who arrives on scene first.
And the repercussions can be quite different.
For instance, if a student who commits the most common violation on campus -- underage drinking -- was observed by the Hanover Police, that student would be fined, according to state law, no less than $250 in addition to court fees.
That student would then by law be turned over to a legal guardian, which in most situations would be Safety and Security, at which point Safety and Security would deal with the student as if that agency had found him or her drinking in the first place.
If the same student had been picked up initially by Safety and Security for underage drinking, he would, according to College policy, receive a mere warning for a first offense and a reprimand for the second.
The penalties students face for public intoxication also significantly varies depending on which public safety organization observes them.
Public intoxication is not against New Hampshire law. However, Hanover Police do have the right to hold an intoxicated person in jail for up to 24 hours. Normally, however, students are turned over to S and S, according to Captain Chris O'Connor of the Hanover Police.
Any student found publicly intoxicated by Safety and Security, or turned over to Safety and Security by the Hanover Police, will likely receive a referral to a dean, reprimand, and $50 fine by the College. A second offense can result in another referral and $50 fine, along with disciplinary action. In all cases, students could be checked into Dick's House for observation, which would result in additional fees.
Hanover Police and Safety and Security cooperate in non-drinking related cases as well.
"My experience has been that Dartmouth Safety and Security has not been at all hesitant to call the police whenever it is necessary," Griffin said.
Nelson agreed. saying, "Safety emergencies often create an overlap. Safety and Security is not required to call for assistance, but frequently do, especially in situations where there is a threat of physical violence or non-students are involved."
