Officers from the Davis Police Department (DPD) have worked with campus police to increase patrols around the city for the first six weeks of school as part of their Fall Enforcement plan. The enforcement plan will return for another six weeks at the start of Spring Quarter.
“Fall Enforcement is simply the enforcement component of a more comprehensive plan to discourage illegal, irresponsible and dangerous behavior,” said Lieutenant Paul Doroshov of the DPD.
Doroshov said the police experience the most parties, crowded bars and underage drinking at the beginning of each academic calendar year.
“The goals [of the enforcement plans] revolve around community safety,” Doroshov said.
Excessive alcohol consumption by college-aged residents and visitors alike can lead to noise complaints and felony-level assaults. He said the police stay visible and proactive to help minimize traffic collisions, violent crimes and other disturbances associated with large parties.
“We have learned, from past mistakes, that not jumping out ahead of these issues contributes to more conflict and greater problems later,” Doroshov said.
The enforcement plan increases the number of officers on duty during the most active hours and works closely with UC Davis Police Department (UCDPD), according to Doroshov.
“The end results we are shooting for are higher levels of compliance with the law, a safer atmosphere and a higher level of understanding between the students and police officers,” Doroshov said.
Based on the police department’s statistics, Doroshov said it’s unlikely that most students will ever be detained or arrested. To minimize student arrests, he said they also work with various campus groups and organizations to help educate students.
“[The] enforcement has its place, but it is not the only way we make Davis safer,” Doroshov said.
One group aiding the Fall Enforcement program this year is the UC Davis’ Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) intervention service.
Jillian Kern, assistant student of the ATOD, said that the Fall Enforcement program started as a research project back in 2002. The main goals were to build a better sense of community, promote party safety and increase high visibility enforcement. The methods were known to positively affect a general population and were eventually refitted for a college environment.
“It’s the beginning of the quarter, freshmen don’t necessarily know what they’re getting into, people are excited to be back,” Kern said.
A large part of educating people means clearing up the misconceptions that seem to create themselves. In a recent survey by the ATOD, students believed 93.5 percent of their peers had drunk alcohol in the last 30 days. The truth is that 29 percent of students claim to have never drunk an alcoholic beverage.
Kern said that the ATOD-run website, safeparty.ucdavis.edu, does more than just give tips on how to drink responsibly. The website also has information for party goers and party throwers, a list of laws and policies and advice for avoiding harmful drug use.
For example, the website states that mixing marijuana with alcohol can have disastrous results. Marijuana can reduce symptoms of nausea, but when mixed with copious amounts of drink, it will work against you. If you mix the two in dangerous quantities, the marijuana will suppress your body’s need to expel the excess alcohol, absorbing it into your stomach and increasing chances of alcohol poisoning.
Additionally, male and female bodies metabolize alcohol differently. Even if they weigh the same, a female may have a higher blood alcohol content after consuming the same amount as a male.
The website also suggests obtaining a noise permit if you plan on having a loud party. However, the permit does not grant complete immunity from noise violations. The application for noise permits has several troublesome limitations and requirements.
“For us they seem to work well,” said Geoff Dodson, president of Sigma Chi. “I’ve been told that dispatch will even be notified ahead of time so cops don’t waste time coming over here only to find out we are cleared for noise.”
It’s important to note Dodson’s events have taken place on campus within UCDPD’s jurisdiction. Dodson mentioned however, that from what he’s heard, off campus noise permits are tougher to obtain.
Though Fall Enforcement recently ended, it will return in the spring, and Lieutenant Doroshov is looking for student volunteers to get involved with the enforcement plans.
