Tuesday • April 18, 1995
The Battalion • Page 11
Intoxication: Arrests for public drunkenness are rising in B-CS area
Continued from Page 1
intoxication, police have to prove that the
people were intoxicated and were endan
gering themselves.
“We are careful to prove these two ele
ments,” he said. “We don’t want to arrest
someone that shouldn’t be arrested.
“I was in college a few years ago and
understand how college life works, but we
don’t want to leave someone alone that
could pose a threat to themselves.”
Sechelski said people could harm
themselves walking home from a bar be
cause they could fall off a curb and get
struck by a car.
“This is why people get arrested for
walking home,” he said. “Even though
they are trying to avoid a DWI charge by
doing so, they may be facing other harm
to themselves.”
He suggested that if people are drink
ing, they should have a friend they can call
to come get them. If they are unable to do
this, then they should call a cab, he said.
Sechelski said that if people call the
police department for a ride, they will
probably be arrested.
“If you call us and we can prove you’re
intoxicated then we will probably arrest
you for public intoxication,” he said.
“While this may be a worst-case scenario,
it’s better for us to arrest the person than
for the person to be hit by a car.”
However, not all students agree that
this is the best way to help the community.
Traci Ferri, a senior history major,
said she had a friend who was arrested
for sitting on a curb waiting for hjs ride.
“He was arrested even after his desig
nated driver said he would be responsible
for him,” Ferri said. “The person who was
arrested was not causing harm to himself
or anyone else and yet he was arrested.
Lt. Scott McCollum, administrative
lieutenant for the College Station Police
Department, said that since it is his job to
prevent possible crimes from occurring,
he may arrest an intoxicated person who
is sitting on the curb.
“If the person is extremely intoxicat
ed, they could be the victim of robbery
or even assault,” he said. “It is our job
to avoid these situations and this some
times results in arresting people for
public intoxication.”
McCollum suggested always going out
in a group so someone can take care of
those whose alcohol consumption may get
out of hand.
“As long as someone is there to take
care of them, most of the time we will
leave the person in the other’s care,” he
said. “But circumstances do arise where
we won’t think the other person can be
responsible, such as if the intoxicated
person is fighting and unmanageable.”
While students understand the need
for keeping people safe, some think the
arrests are being taken too far.
Ferri said she doesn’t want to have to
worry that she could very easily be ar
rested if she decides to drink when she
goes out.
“I do go out and drink sometimes and
shouldn’t have to worry that I could be
arrested for something as innocent as
waiting for my ride,” Ferri said. “I am
over 21 years old and responsible when I
drink and I shouldn’t have to look over
my shoulder every time I see a police offi
cer outside a bar.”
Panel
erts discuss environmental issues
Continued from Page 1
and more intertwined than we could ever have suspected.”
Each panelist pointed to a different way to strengthen
the movement.
Betty Rogers from the Texas Natural Resources Con
servation Commission stressed the need for involving
others in the movement.
“The problem is that people don’t understand that it’s
all of us,” Rogers said.
Rogers said the movement should return to a local level,
in contrast to its strict federal regulations of the past.
“I think that now the movement needs to go back to
the grass roots level,” Rogers said. “I don’t think that
federal, Draconian measures are the way to go.”
Nikki Reidt, campaign director for U.S. Public In
terest Group, said local environmental movements
need to expand.
“We must learn to think globally and
act globally,” Reidt said. “The fight is far
from over.”
She said that places like “Cancer Al
ley” in Baytown, where every family
on the street has a family member
with cancer from various pollu
tants, is a sign that the move
ment still needs to make progress.
Jean Bowman, co-chair of the
Friends Just Peace Institute in Col
lege Station, said the movement
should stress its link with spirituality.
“I think the future of the environmen
tal movement rests in its link with spiritu
ality,” Bowman said.
She explained that environmental activism is linked
to peace and the movement should exploit that link.
“When the movement started, it focused on do
ing what was right,” Bowman said. “Now we
need to do this, not because it’s right, but be
cause it is part of a sustainable peace. You
can’t work for environmental protection
without working toward peace. That’s
where the future lies.”
Bowman said the environmental
movement should keep increasing and fo
cus on keeping environmental protection
consistent.
She said the environmental movement
will not face an easier path now that it is 25
years old.
“The environmental movement has always
been an uphill struggle,” Bowman said.
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