Pubdate: Thu, 29 Jan 2004
Source: East Carolinian (NC Edu)
Copyright: 2004 The East Carolinian
Contact:  http://www.theeastcarolinian.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/774
Author: Nick Henne

RESIDENCE HALL DRUG VIOLATIONS RISING

Increased activity, officer presence cited as factors

With the increase in drug violations reported in the residence halls last
semester, the ECU Police Department is increasing their efforts to lessen
the drug activity.

Amy Davis, crime prevention sergeant of the ECU Police Department, said the
number of drug violations has risen from 52 in 2001 to 95 in 2002 and has
continued to increase in 2003.

Davis said the increase is the direct result of the enrollment increase ECU
has experienced in the past several years.

"When you have more students you're going to have more activity...the more
activity, you're going to have more criminal activity going on, and with
that we try to have more officers out on patrol," said Davis.

Robert Morphet, substance abuse counselor for ECU, works with students who
are caught for drug violations and those who voluntarily see him in attempt
to change their drug habits.

Morphet said students that have met with him this year have noticed more
officers in the dorms.

"When [students] were on campus last year, they would say 'occasionally we
will see a police officer in our residence hall. This year it's been a
marked increase in how many [officers] we see in our residence halls,'" said
Morphet.

Elizabeth Watkins, patrol captain of the ECU Police Department said there
have been cases this year where officers have located drug violations that
have not been called in.

"We've had officers that have just been on their normal patrol walking
through the dorms smelling marijuana ... and they end up making a drug
bust," said Watkins.

Watkins said while drugs have always been present on ECU's campus, the fall
2003 semester brought more search warrants for drug related activity then
she has seen in her last eight years at the university.

While marijuana has always been the most prominent drug in the dorms,
Watkins said, there have been cases of harder drugs reported in the fall
semester including cocaine, mushrooms and ecstasy.

Margaret Olszewska, assistant director of student conflict and resolution,
said students who are charged with drug violations are often unaware of the
severity of the crime.

According to the Office of Student Conflict Resolution, ECU's response to a
first offense of possession of marijuana with intent to sell or deliver
results in at least one semester of suspension until proof of completion of
an outside drug or alcohol counseling and treatment program.

Students must also provide proof of a drug test indicating that the student
was drug free within 30 days of reenrollment as well as parental
notification.

A second violation results in expulsion.

A fist offense with intent to sell or deliver harder drugs such as cocaine,
MDMA (Ecstasy) or psilacybin ("shrooms") results in immediate expulsion and
parental notification.

"It's just not worth it ... I don't think people think about the
consequences of their actions," said Olszewska.

According to Morphet, students he has worked with have mixed reactions in
the effects drugs have on them.

"I've worked with students that say 'Yeah, it's a big deal...I need to stop
it because I'm not studying because I'm playing Playstation 2 16 hours a day
stoned,'" Morphet said.

"But many students said they don't see [marijuana] as such a problematic
drug.

They think it's something more social that they and a lot of their friends
do."

Watkins said she attributes the combined effort of both the residential
advisors and residents living in the dorms doing a better job catching and
reporting drug activity.

"We've had people call in telling us that there is some kind of drug
activity going on," Watkins said.

"So we have gotten drugs that way as well. It's been a combined effort on
everybody's part."

Watkins said some of the people caught with drugs are cooperative in
revealing their source.

Amy Davis said the ECU Police Department works with the RA's and
coordinators of the residence halls over the summer to train them how to
spot drug activity.

"During the summertime, we train the RA's and coordinators of what to look
for ... if you see a towel stuffed by the door...usually the people do that
or they use the fabric softener to hinder the smell," Davis said.

The RA's are instructed to immediately contact the ECU Police Department
when they suspect drug activity Davis said.

"They [RA's] have done an outstanding job, especially in reporting [drug
behavior] to the appropriate levels," Davis said.
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