To begin, there does not seem to be any reason for notifying the Borough Police of calls for assistance on Prospect Avenue. Public Safety can serve all of the same functions that the Borough Police would serve by responding. The Borough Police do not bring any unique capabilities to the situation, especially considering that many Public Safety officers have the same qualifications as their Borough counterparts; in fact, because Public Safety officers have substantially more experience interacting with intoxicated students, they will likely do a better job of handling the situation.
We fear that the presence of the Borough Police will make the situation worse. It is unclear whether the Borough Police will transport students to McCosh Health Center or whether all students in need of medical attention may be required to go to the University Medical Center at Princeton — a much more serious and expensive alternative. Furthermore, the vague assurances provided so far by the police do little to counteract the reasonable concern that legal consequences are more likely to arise when the Borough Police are involved. Because students know that the Borough Police will now be responding to their calls, we are concerned that they will be less likely to request assistance, or will wait longer — until the situation has become even more dangerous — before making the call. They will be reluctant to get their friends or themselves in trouble. Whether students will actually face legal consequences for calling for help for a friend or not is inconsequential: the fact that the perceived risk has increased will make students less likely to call.
This change in policy will undoubtedly result in fewer calls for assistance, but not because fewer students need assistance. Instead, students will take more risks with their health and the health of their friends. We urge the University and the Borough to reconsider this policy; it will undo years of work in convincing students to call for help.
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