Underage drinking citations spike as students return to campus
Oxford Police issued nine citations for underage during the weekend leading up to Miami University's first day of class. Miami Police also recorded nearly a dozen alcohol violations in the previous week, in addition to other incidents.
After a summer with no charges for underage drinking, the Oxford Police Department issued nine citations related to underage alcohol consumption between Aug. 24 and 25.
Miami University began classes on Aug. 26, with first-year students moving into residence halls starting Aug. 23. Students living off-campus did not all share specific move-in dates.
Prior to Aug. 24, Oxford hadn’t issued any underage drinking citations in June, July or August this year, according to weekly media reports. The nine citations last weekend included both underage consumption of alcohol and possession of fake IDs.
In one case, OPD officers stopped an underage male with both an alcoholic beverage and a loaded firearm at the intersection of E. High Street and N. Poplar Street near Brick Street Bar. He was stopped at approximately 12:30 a.m. Aug. 25 and issued a court summons.
The Miami University Police Department’s crime and fire log lists 45 incidents over 31 cases between Monday, Aug. 19 and Sunday, Aug. 25. Those incidents included 11 calls for medical assistance, 11 alcohol violations of various types, four fire alarms, three cases of disorderly conduct and two sexual offenses including a rape. OPD collected a sexual assault nurse examination kit from McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital but reported that the individual did not want to speak with police.
One case listed by MUPD on Aug. 25 involving a medical assist, drug and alcohol violations, assault and sexual imposition, occurred at Brick Street Bar. Every other case occurred on the Oxford Campus.
