DPS REPORTS DRUG VIOLATIONS GROW BY 250%

Dps Handled Three Times More Drug Violations Last Month Than It Did In
November 2002, While Alcohol Violations Increased 15 Percent

Drug violations at the University have risen 250 percent for the month of
November compared to last year, Department of Public Safety Interim
Director Tom Hicks said at a Public Safety Advisory Group meeting Thursday
night.

On Oct. 30, DPS implemented its new authority to issue municipal citations
for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. Between that date and
Nov. 30, DPS issued 10 drug citations to students and referred 18 to the
Office of Student Judicial Affairs without citations, making a total
increase of 20 violations compared to a year ago.

In 2002 the Eugene Police Department cited three students.

Five students were referred to judicial affairs in November 2002, Hicks said.

Despite the more than three-fold increase in drug violations, DPS has cited
a smaller percentage of students than EPD did the prior year. This year,
DPS cited 36 percent of students caught with drugs, with the remaining
receiving referrals to judicial affairs. In 2002 EPD cited 38 percent of
drug offenders caught on campus. "The biggest increase this year to last
year has been in drug offenses," Hicks said at the meeting.

For that same period, alcohol violations rose only 15 percent. This year,
45 students were caught with alcohol violations, compared to 39 last year.

Hicks explained that it's difficult to compare last year's numbers with
this year's because last year DPS was unable to issue citations. Also, he
pointed out that three-quarters of people cited for alcohol violations this
year were cited at the Civil War game. Next year's Civil War game will be
held at Oregon State University, however.

DPS officer Jed McGuire said the numbers are up this year because of an
increase in violations, not patrolling officers.

"I've dealt with more people with more dope than in the past," he said. "If
anybody has any idea why -- maybe there's just a great harvest this year --
I don't know why."

McGuire said the great majority of students caught are underclassmen and
said that many of them are experimenting during their first term or their
first term back at the University.

Hicks said most of the people who received citations had been contacted by
officers two or three times before for drug violations. Also, many of them
were not cooperative, he said.

"I wonder if this big (Atkins Diet) increase is pushing people away from
beer," ASUO Student Legal Services Director Ilona Koleszar said, drawing
laughter from many people in the room.

Also, DPS cited two people for littering and two for urinating in public.
Both cases of public urination occurred at the Civil War game, but Hicks
said he was unable to say whether those cited were Beaver fans or students
at all.