LCE teams up with police to patrol Fling

Plain-clothes agents deployed to crackPlain-clothes agents deployed to crackdown on underage drinking, fake IDs and Marisa Katz Undercover agents from the Pennsylvania State Police's Liquor Enforcement and Control Bureau will patrol the campus this weekend as part of an intensive effort to limit underage drinking. And an LCE spokesperson has hinted that this supervision may remain in place after Spring Fling is over. University Police Operations Director Maureen Rush announced that the agents will work with Philadelphia and University police officers, as well as Allied Security guards, to look for violators of the state's underage drinking, open alcohol container and fake ID regulations. "The agency has attended events at other universities, but apparently Penn's events have become notorious as well," she said. She added that they will also be notifying local retailers of the penalties for selling alcohol to underage drinkers. While the LCE has maintained a sporadic presence on campus in the past, Rush explained this is the first year there has been a "concerted working relationship" between the agency and the two police forces. "We're at Penn quite often," the LCE spokesperson said, adding that the bureau is familiar with local bars like the Blarney Stone and Cavanaugh's. "But we're not just coming this weekend." He explained that agents will be patrolling areas both on and off campus. "We'll be spot-checking bars to make sure they're not selling to underage or obviously inebriated customers," he said. "We may check the IDs of youthful-looking customers." The spokesperson added, however, that the patrols will not be overly-intrusive. "We won't indiscriminately harass places, but we'll check bars while they're in operation," he said. University Police Captain John Richardson explained that the increased patrols are necessary to maintain a safe campus environment. "We're not out there to dampen people's spirits or rain on people's parades," he said. "We just want to make sure everyone has a great time and doesn't get hurt." He added that University Police have restricted officers' benefit and vacation time and asked them to work overtime hours to ensure maximum staffing. Rush said there is also the possibility that police will videotape certain outdoor events as a way of witnessing the behavior of both police officers and students. In addition, the tapes will be used to train police officers in crowd control and for planning future event staffing. Rush said police are not looking to confront students. "We're not out to make arrests," she explained. "But we don't want people ending up in the hospital having their stomachs pumped or getting hurt from thrown bottles. "Excessive drinking, fights and people hanging off of rooftops will not be tolerated," she added. Residential Security Coordinator Vernon Belden said there will be an increased police presence in and around the Quadrangle. "We're going to have an increased amount of visible security on 36th and 37th streets doing things like checking bags," he explained. "They'll also be patrolling the inside of the Quad." Belden added that special attention will be paid to the Quad's Junior Balcony, the site of several disturbances during last year's Spring Fling.