With Penn’s annual Spring Fling around the corner, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush outlined the potential criminal consequences of rowdy and illegal behavior.
Penn Police officers and agents from Philadelphia’s Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement will work together for the third year in a row at this year’s Spring Fling to keep the event safe, Rush said. “Students come on the radar screen of the police or [B]LCE when they are walking around with an open container or walking around drawing attention to themselves,” Rush said.
Show a Real ID:
Rush said the key to avoiding conflict or serious repercussions from Penn Police or the BLCE is cooperation. If Penn Police or BLCE agents approach a student with an open container, the student must show ID. Rush warns that no student should present a fake ID — this is a criminal misdemeanor that would go on a permanent record.
Alcohol and Marijuana Possession:
Underage students found in possession of alcohol or under one ounce of marijuana can receive a summary offense citation, but they will not be arrested or processed. However, “If then, on top of that, you resist or walk away or get argumentative, chances are you’re going in another direction that is a lot more serious,” Rush said.
Possession of Other Illegal Drugs:
If a student is caught in possession of any other form of illegal drug — such as cocaine, heroine, pills, LSD, roofies, molly, or ecstasy — the student will go straight into narcotics processing as this would be considered a criminal possessory offense, Rush said.
Supplying Alcohol to Minors:
In regards to “nuisance houses,” Rush also warns that if residents over the age of 21 are caught providing alcohol to underage students, they can be charged with a misdemeanor that would appear on a permanent criminal record.
“If you are being over the top, and people are coming out of the windows, and the police ask them to stop and they don’t, you will be cited,” Rush said. “Don’t make yourself stand out in the crowd and simply cooperate.”
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