Underage drinking citations on rise at UD

Underage drinking citations rise as temperatures warm.

School warned students that there would be increased police presence on campus.

The number of underage drinking citations issued by University of Dayton Police has steadily increased since students returned for classes on Jan. 17.

UD police cited 43 people for underage drinking over the past two weeks as the school cracks down on a problem that officials have said increases just as spring temperatures do.

The University of Dayton on Feb. 17 sent an email to students warning them there would be an “increased staff and police presence” in student neighborhoods to better ensure safety. Police were ordered to be out dispersing large crowds, citing underage drinking and enforcing occupancy limits, according to the email.

“We ask for your cooperation as we work to provide a safe environment for all community members,” officials said in the email.

UD police cited one person on Feb. 17, 15 on Feb. 18 and one on Feb. 19, according to a police crime log. Most of the citations were issued at locations along Lowes Street, which runs through UD’s southern student neighborhood.

Police recorded 20 underage citations last Thursday, Feb. 23, more than the entire previous weekend, despite an upped police presence that was announced Feb. 17. UD police cited one person for underage drinking Friday, one on Saturday and four on Sunday, according to crime logs.

Each February weekend had more underage violations than either of the two weekends classes were in session for in January. Just seven people were cited for underage drinking the weekend after classes resumed at UD in January. The second weekend of January there were 13 violations recorded, according to crime logs.

The health and safety of students is the highest priority, officials said in a prepared statement Tuesday.

“We continue to emphasize to our students their responsibility to treat themselves and others with respect and abide by the law, university policies and our student code of conduct. We will continue to hold students accountable for their behavior and work with them to keep our campus community safe,” the statement read.