The Hanover Police Department has decided to alter its procedures for arresting students when officers respond to alcohol-related medical calls, according to a message sent by acting Dean of the College Sylvia Spears to the Dartmouth community Thursday evening.
According to the announcement, Hanover Police will no longer arrest underage individuals who qualify for the Alcohol Diversions Program. Instead, information about the program will be left with the individuals, who must respond within seven days to avoid a citation and court summons.
Spears called the decision a "very enlightened procedural change" in an interview with The Dartmouth.
"This change allows our campus community to be more assured that there are no barriers for students picking up the phone if someone is in need," Spears said. "The other opportunity it opens for us is, the College and students on the campus take seriously reducing the harms of drinking."
The change follows Hanover Police's February announcement to implement compliance checks in Greek organizations in response to dangerous underage drinking. The announcement was met with a strong outcry from the student body. Following the formation of the Student and Presidential Alcohol Harm Reduction Committee a committee led by President Jim Yong Kim in an effort to the Hanover Police announced that they would delay the implementation of the policy.
"The work of [SPAHRC] is critical in the identification and implementation of best practices for the safe management of alcohol on campus, " Spears wrote in the e-mail.
This is a breaking news web update. This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
