The Metropolitan Police Department announced measures aimed at underage drinking at a University-Neighborhood meeting.
Lt. Brian Bray said the effort would include sending undercover officers into local parties. He said the measures were still being worked out and will proceed carefully.
Jeanne Lord, Director of Off-Campus Student Affairs, said she had concerns about how the police would carry out the undercover operation.
“I trust [Bray] will implement this intelligently and cautiously,” Lord said. “I’m very grateful to Bray for putting the word out. He didn’t need to do that.”
Visiting Associate Law Professor, Abbe Smith, believes that under the fourth amendment, police officers would need a reliable source telling them illegal activity was taking place at a party before they could send undercover officers in to investigate.
“If a student called and gave their name and address and then said they were at a party at a specific address at a specific time where illegal activity was taking place, officer could probably investigate,” she said. “But if the phone call were anonymous, that would be different. That could probably be challenged [legally].”
A neighbor who hears loud noise and sees a large number of students in a house should not be enough to warrant police presence at a party, Smith said. “What you don’t want is cranky neighbors able to summon armed officers at any time,” she said.
Students are subject to University punishments for alcohol violations received off-campus. Lord said she did not yet know how she would handle alcohol violations received from police officers using questionable undercover tactics.
“I honestly don’t know,” she said. “I almost have to say it would be a case by case basis.”
“This isn’t about exercising power over students because we can,” Lord said. “Might circumstances color my thinking? Yes, they would.”
