Unfortunately, Hanover Police practice in response to ambulance calls directly discourages students from using the Good Samaritan service. Clearly those who drink to such a point are responsible for their own predicament -- however, when a friend is put in the position to make such a decision, their hesitance -- which only exists because of the threat of their friend's arrest by Hanover Police -- is absolutely unacceptable.
--Zachary Gottlieb '10
Let us be clear: the problem arises because a portion of Dartmouth students are irresponsible enough to both flagrantly disregard the law by drinking underage and drink enough to put their health at risk. Students' friends are either too wasted or too irresponsible to stop them at a reasonable number of drinks. These are fatal character flaws of the Dartmouth culture. Let's not try to shift the blame on to the police for doing their jobs and enforcing the law to its fullest extent. If you don't like the law, take it up with Congress and the state of New Hampshire.
--Raza Rasheed '12
Hanover Police's policies discourage students from getting help for each other, which makes these policies detrimental to our protection. While a police presence is necessary for the safety of the paramedics, an arrest doesn't do much to protect or serve us as students.
--Tom Mandel '11
The entire foundation of the Good Samaritan policy is to encourage students to get help for people in trouble without being deterred by the prospect of punishment. If the Hanover Police makes arrests on Good Sam calls, then the program is meaningless. They may be enforcing the law, but they're also encouraging students to avoid seeking the medical treatment they need.
--Chris Talamo '11
Believing that a fully functional Good Samaritan Policy will curb a Dartmouth student's tendency to abuse alcohol is wishful thinking. As long as there is alcohol, Dartmouth students will drink and will sometimes choose to put themselves in danger by drinking to excess and not seeking medical help. Criticizing Hanover Police's adherence to the law is nothing but buck-passing. Dartmouth's binge drinking culture, and not the discretion of Hanover police, is the source of the problem.
--Jasper Hicks '12
While I firmly believe Hanover Police should refrain from arresting those taken by ambulance to the hospital under the Good Samaritan policy, overall I believe the police do their job well -- that is, they prevent disorder present on campus from spilling into the town.
--Jacob Batchelor '12
Arresting an underage drinker who already needs hospitalization is excessive -- a ride in the ambulance is traumatizing enough. It's hard to appreciate the police for what they do -- protect the people -- if their policies cause students to avoid using the Good Samaritan Policy.
--Ben Gonin '12
There seems to be no empirical evidence that Hanover Police's policies prevent students from seeking help for peers who have alcohol poisoning. In my personal experience, people have not hesitated to Good Sam friends in serious need of medical help. Police policy only seems to deter people from calling for help for peers who are unhealthily, but not dangerously, intoxicated. Unless there is statistical proof that contradicts this observation, I think that Hanover Police absolutely has the right to arrest students who have broken the law.
--Emily Johnson '12
We are right to question the perverse incentives that may keep a student from getting the help he or she needs in the event of dangerous intoxication. However, we should focus just as much on our own drinking behavior and the need for some common sense in our decision making.
--Isaiah Berg '11
