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Rumors of extra police ring true

Rebecca Zemmelman, For The Miami Student

Rumors of heightened amounts of law enforcement in Oxford ran rampant the week before spring break and, according to Sgt. Jon Varley of the Oxford Police Department (OPD), the rumors held some truth.

More OPD staff were on patrol as well as Miami University Police. Both were on high alert surveying the streets of Oxford. On top of the local enforcement, the Ohio State Government Division of Liquor Control's Investigative Unit came to Oxford.

According to Varley, this year the weekend of Green Beer Day carried 13 underage arrests and one arrest for supplying to minors.

Geoff Dutton, Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) media relations director, said officers that came to Oxford this year on Green Beer Day reported few problems.

"They checked ID's and ensured that the people and the parties stayed safe," Dutton said.

The ODPS did not make any arrests for the time they were present on Miami's campus and surrounding areas.

According to Varley, the officers from the Ohio Division of Liquor Control come in plainclothes and usually stand away from crowded areas to observe.

The Division can either come on their own for big events, like Green Beer Day, or at the request of police departments.

Varley said when the ODPS comes in they work very well with the local police departments.

"They come in and talk to us and let us know that they are there, where they are going to be, and who their officers are," Varley said. "A lot of times we will give them one of our radios if they need assistance instead of trying to reach our department over the phone."

Miami graduate Ally Moloney, a bartender at Brick Street Bar and Grill, worked all day Green Beer Day. She too said this year was relatively quiet.

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"I did not see any arrests the entire day," Moloney said. "I only caught one person coming to the bar trying to drink underage and I only saw two police officers the entire day."

Brick Street checked ID's at the door and checked them at the bar every single time someone ordered a drink.

"Green Beer Day is the worst day to go uptown if you plan on underage drinking," Moloney said.

Miami junior Kathleen Sullivan said she and her underage friends did not take a chance spending their Green Beer Day uptown.

"It isn't worth it if you are underage," Sullivan said. "There are police officers everywhere. Even if you aren't trying to drink, there is supposedly public enforcement just swarming."

Varley gave some lasting advice for students who engage in drinking activities: No matter what, even if the bar is rented out for a private event, law enforcement can go into bars at any time and ensure there is no underage drinking.

Another piece of advice he gave was to watch out for your friends. This year OPD has implemented a medical amnesty. As long as there are no problems and everyone in the situation is compliant, no one will be cited if someone needs to go to the hospital due to alcohol.