Preserving the safety of our lives and our liberties

For better or worse, most people would agree that alcohol use — and more commonly, abuse — has become part of mainstream American college life. Borough Mayor Marvin Reed and his associates on the Borough Council argue that their proposed alcohol ordinance will substantially curtail Princeton's alcohol intake along Prospect Avenue, but the average student has more to lose than her or his booze if this proposal is passed.

Notwithstanding the view that this ordinance would force students either to cloister themselves in small groups and to indulge heavily in hard alcohol, or to flee to area bars, increasing the likelihood of drunken driving, there are some more fundamental troubles with the law. At a Whig-Clio panel last week, the Borough Police Chief remarked that officers would be permitted to approach all students who "appear to be underage" if such students were drinking in areas visible to Borough police officers. The police would have probable cause to enter a particular club if they were told that the beverages came from that club, and both the student consuming and the student serving would be in breach of the law.

It is notable that a civil rights attorney, also on the panel, questioned the legality of that process, but since the chief will be responsible for enforcing this ordinance, it's important to answer the central question of who would be targeted or, put in this context, who fits the characteristics of "appearing underage." Considering that nearly every undergraduate is between the ages of 18 and 22, we all meet the criterion for questioning. Theoretically, then, the police could approach every person on the 'Street' until they found someone under 21, at which time they could give that person a fine and then pursue the individual and the club that served them.

Most people are likely to respond to my claims by saying that the police force would not engage in such a Gestapo-like spree. Think again, though, and remind yourselves of the beefed up presence of Princeton's Finest on the 'Street' recently. The chief might argue that they are out there to monitor safety hazards or escort drunken students to McCosh Health Center or Princeton Medical Center. At the panel, though, he resolutely rattled off his statistics for summonses issued for open containers this year but never said a word about how the police have "protected" students or ensured the safety of those who were inebriated.

Mayor Reed has stated that this proposal is being urged by the state for implementation in shore towns and for the protection of all New Jersey residents. It's upsetting, however, that every time the mayor or the chief refers to actual implementation, they mention two nearby college towns, and it is patent that the objective is to target Prospect Avenue. It is undeniable that the 'Street' is already a target on any Thursday or Saturday night, and it paralyzes me with frustration to know that the tax money of Borough residents is being poorly employed with a wasteful allocation of service and protection — or, perhaps more accurately, the prevention of open containers and public urination — along Prospect Avenue.

Enacting a silly law that will promote contempt for the police and endanger student lives is a serious danger that this community must prevent. Mayor Reed and the members of the Borough Council should begin to respect the clubs as the $325,000 property tax contributors that they are and recognize the policy changes club authorities have enacted over the past months. If the police want to work with us, then they need to tread lightly before the already established feeling of contempt and disdain for them intensifies. With an issue as important as alcohol abuse, safety must prevail, and it will be programs for prevention as well as alternatives to alcohol abuse that blaze the trails in this field, not Borough police cars and summons-ordered court appearances that threaten civil liberties. Ryan Salvatore is a Wilson School major from Stamford, CT. He can be reached at salvatre@princeton.edu.