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The Dartmouth
July 18, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Dartmouth students face high alcohol arrest rate

Hanover Police regularly escort ambulances, resulting in the arrest of intoxicated students sent to DHMC.
Hanover Police regularly escort ambulances, resulting in the arrest of intoxicated students sent to DHMC.

The percentage of liquor law violations that result in arrest is higher at Dartmouth than at similar institutions in the Northeast, according to local authorities interviewed by The Dartmouth. Dartmouth is the only college of those contacted by The Dartmouth where police cars regularly escort ambulances on calls, which often results in the arrest of underage Dartmouth students hospitalized due to intoxication.

THE HARD NUMBERS

Dartmouth is similar to other institutions in New England in that it does not have a campus police force -- on-campus protection is the responsibility of Safety and Security, which does not have the power to make arrests.

Dartmouth, also like many other institutions, is in a state with an internal possession law, whereby any underage student who has consumed alcohol can be charged with illegal possession. Many critics of the law have argued that it facilitates unnecessary arrests of underage individuals.

Despite these similarities with other institutions, Dartmouth students who are caught drinking are more likely to be arrested -- rather than referred to the administration for disciplinary action -- than students at comparable colleges and universities, according to The Dartmouth's analysis of information provided by local authorities and federal databases.

In 2007, 59 Dartmouth students were arrested on campus for liquor law violations, according to the College's 2008 annual security report. There were 119 other alcohol policy infractions that were referred to the College for disciplinary action.

About 90 percent of liquor law violations in Hanover involve Dartmouth students, Hanover Police Chief Nicholas Giaconne said. Hanover Police's 20 officers devote about 60 percent of their time to Dartmouth students, he said.

Other institutions like Dartmouth -- those without a campus police force and located in states with similar "possession by consumption" liquor laws -- have significantly lower percentages of liquor law violations that result in arrest.

"I'd say 1 percent, you know, very minimal," Richard Rizzo, the chief of Brunswick Police Department, said when asked how much of his police force's attention is directed towards students at Bowdoin College, located in Brunswick, Maine.

There were no arrests at Bowdoin for liquor law violations in 2007, according to the college's annual security report, although 135 liquor violations were referred to the college administration for disciplinary action.

Keene State College in Keene, N.H., also does not have a campus police force. Keene reported 76 arrests on campus due to liquor law violations in 2007, and 499 cases were referred to the college for disciplinary action.

These reports indicate that about 13 percent of Keene students cited for alcohol violations were arrested, as compared with about 33 percent of Dartmouth students.

Several other New Hampshire institutions have campus police forces, including the University of New Hampshire at Durham and Plymouth State University.

Students who violate liquor laws are more likely to be arrested at both of these universities.

UNH reported 264 arrests as a result of alcohol violations and 453 cases that did not result in arrest in 2007.

"Alcohol is at the foundation of everything we deal with," Durham Police Chief David Kurz said, noting that the "bulk" of the department's arrests involve alcohol.

Plymouth State reported 94 arrests for liquor law violations in 2006, with 144 other cases referred only to the university administration. Plymouth State's 2007 arrest statistics are not available in the Department of Education's campus security database.

"We are pretty strict when it comes to people under 21," Creig Doyle, chief of University Police at Plymouth State said. "In my two years of experience [as chief], we've never had any issues."

HOSPITALIZATION AND ARREST

Dartmouth instituted the current version of its Good Samaritan Policy in 2005. The Good Sam Policy allows an intoxicated student or that student's concerned friend to call Safety and Security and, with no questions asked and no disciplinary ramifications from the College, receive a medical response.

The policy offers students no protection from arrest by Hanover Police. Students often face arrest when they require transportation to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center via an ambulance because ambulances are escorted by Hanover Police.

"On all ambulance calls, whether they are off campus or on campus, a police cruiser responds. Sometimes they are the first to arrive at the scene," Giaconne said, noting that police follow ambulances largely for the safety of the ambulance crew. "Our job is to enforce the law. We're not going to shy away from our responsibility."

Dartmouth currently relies heavily on Hanover's emergency services when a student requires urgent attention, College director of Safety and Security Harry Kinne said.

"We don't hesitate calling an ambulance," he said

Hanover Police is the only police force interviewed by The Dartmouth that regularly follows ambulances.

"I know I don't have a policy [about following ambulances], ... but those situations have happened in the past," Doyle said. "It doesn't happen all the time."

Hospitalizations are rare at Plymouth, Doyle said, adding that there have been no hospitalizations for overconsumption of alcohol this academic year.

Keene's police force rarely arrests students requiring hospitalization, according to Captain Jack Zeller of the Keene Police Department.

"We virtually never follow ambulances for any reason," Zeller said in an e-mail to The Dartmouth. "We don't have time to do it."

Durham Police has no specific policy on whether to arrest UNH students who require hospitalization due to overconsumption of alcohol.

"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?" Kurz said in an e-mail to The Dartmouth. "However, if they did some other crime, we would need to review that situation on a case by case basis."

Several candidates in the recent Student Assembly election, along with members of the College Democrats, have advocated that the College maintain its own ambulance service to avoid the involvement of Hanover Police.

Deanna Portero '12, the College Democrats issue advocacy director, said that purchasing an ambulance would be in Dartmouth students' best interest.

Portero noted that "a lot of colleges have their own ambulance services," and that "Dartmouth is in particular need of one," considering the state's internal possession law and the extent to which the possibility of arrest deters students from calling for help.

Kinne emphasized, however, that Hanover Police could still become involved even if the College acquired its own service.

"I've heard [the possibility of arrest when being hospitalized] is a deterrence, and I've heard people actually have tried to make an estimate ... whether to call in a Good Sam to the College," Giaconne said. "I think that is a poor decision after basing it on the prospect of arrest because the consequences on one hand is serious injury or death."

There are financial considerations as well.

"We don't have the money to [purchase an ambulance]," Dean of the College Tom Crady said in an interview with The Dartmouth. "I just can't imagine us having the money to do that."

ON PATROL

Giaconne said that the police presence on Webster Avenue, or "Frat Row," is higher than in other locations in Hanover due to the history of offenses, including underage alcohol consumption and fights, in that area.

"We do patrols in areas where we historically have problems," Giaconne said. "We have problems on Webster Avenue, which is a town street."

Keene Police has a more limited history of issues with fraternities, Zeller said.

"Whatever [fraternity members] do, they tend to be a lot more disciplined about it," he said.

Keene Police spends more time on house parties, for which they receive more complaints, Zeller said.

"The level of police presence on campus is very low unless there is an active call or issue," Zeller said in an e-mail.

Hanover police distinguishes between town streets that run through the College and College property, including dormitories, when they are on patrol, Giaconne said.

Police have a minimal presence on the Bowdoin campus, Randy Nichols, the director of safety and security at the college, said.

"Brunswick Police Department rarely comes onto campus," he said. "Usually when they come onto campus, it's at our request."

Giaconne said he believes his force's higher presence on campus is a better tactic.

"If we don't provide the patrol, then we end up answering things that occur after the fact," he said.