DUBIOUS LEAD FOR BAY AREA CAMPUSES

Berkeley, SJSU rank 1st, 2nd in drug arrests BY DANA HULL Mercury News Staff
Writer

UC-Berkeley and San Jose State University reported more drug arrests in 1997
than any other colleges in the country, according to a national survey.

University of California-Berkeley led the nation for the second year in a
row with a reported 179 drug arrests, followed by San Jose State with 162.
Berkeley was third in the country for alcohol-related arrests. The annual
survey, to be released today by the Chronicle of Higher Education, is based
on the crime statistics that campuses are required by federal law to
disclose each year.

This year's survey examined crime reports at 483 four-year colleges and
universities. It found that arrests on campus are up 7.2 percent for drugs
and 3.6 percent for alcohol. But the study's authors emphasize that the
number of arrests should not be interpreted to mean that Berkeley and San
Jose State have mushroomed into huge drug and party schools. In fact, it may
simply indicate that campus police officers have succeeded in their efforts
to crack down on drug and alcohol offenses.

``Nationwide, we hear some of each,'' said Scott Jaschik, managing editor of
the Chronicle of Higher Education. ``Some are saying it is tougher
enforcement. Some say there is more substance abuse, which leads to behavior
that causes arrest. But whatever the theory, it's clear that the numbers of
arrests are going up.''

Officials at UC-Berkeley and San Jose State attribute the high numbers to
the perseverance of campus police officers, and say that ranking high in the
national survey is a source of pride, not embarrassment. They also say that
many of the arrests occurred near the campuses but not on them, and included
numerous citations of people who were not students.

``I went to Berkeley. Berkeley is not a party school. You don't have time to
party,'' said Lt. Adan Tejada, director of the university's crime prevention
unit. ``We're proud of the fact that our officers are doing a good job.''

Berkeley's numbers are also high because People's Park, which traditionally
draws marijuana activists, is a part of the UC campus. Police officers there
also routinely make arrests along Telegraph Avenue, a commercial strip full
of head shops that habitually sports its share of drug addicts. Monitoring
drug activity in the park and along Telegraph has long been a source of
debate and friction within the Berkeley community.

Tejada said that of the 179 drug arrests, 140 were misdemeanors -- the bulk
of them for marijuana possession. And of the 140 arrests, only 22 were of
individuals directly affiliated with the university.

``We have two officers that work Telegraph Avenue,'' Tejada said. ``We made
more arrests there than the rest of the UC system combined. The students
really aren't the problem.''

Officers at San Jose State voice similar sentiments. The 27,000-student
school is largely a commuter campus, and many students are older individuals
who also work or are returning to school. Nearly half of the students are 25
and over.

``The university is located in the busiest crime district in the city,''
said Ric Abeyta, chief of police for the San Jose State University Police.
``Our officers are very diligent in their efforts to eliminate crime around
the campus.''

San Jose State police say they enjoy a strong working relationship with city
police and routinely collaborate with them. A city-university neighborhood
task force has been in place for nearly five years.

``I think the campus is very safe,'' Abeyta said. ``We have a lot of people
watching out for the students. Occasionally we'll have a fraternity party
with a little too much alcohol, but that is very seldom. A lot of
fraternities and sororities are becoming dry houses. They are starting to
police themselves.''

The annual survey of campus crime statistics comes on the heels of renewed
concern about binge drinking -- or drinking to get drunk. While research
shows a drop in the number of college students who are drinking, those who
do are drinking more heavily than ever. Deaths from binge drinking in recent
years have led many campuses to enact stricter rules or ``zero tolerance''
policies. And binge drinking, which results in intoxication, often leads to
the type of behavior that causes arrest.

UC-Berkeley student Kevin Sabet, a sophomore who directs a drug awareness
and prevention group, said the Bay Area's tolerant culture is partly to
blame.

``Berkeley is different,'' said Sabet, director of the student group
Citizens for a Drug Free Berkeley. ``The drug culture was born here in the
Bay Area. You have remnants of that still. There is drug use on campus. And
alcohol continues to be a badge of adulthood.''