Alcohol is going to be completely banned in Oakland, and students are not happy
College is about to be the four soberest years of your life
After a record-breaking number of alcohol-related citations and arrests in Oakland last year, the University of Pittsburgh Police Department and the City of Pittsburgh Police Department have signed an agreement that will ban all alcohol purchase and use within the Oakland neighborhood. The new mandate will go into effect on May 1, 2016, a month from today. Although the University has cosigned the law, it is filed under city law.
This comes after a three-month-long process, beginning just after the new year. A private meeting was scheduled for Thursday, January 7th. Among the attendees were five men and women from both the university’s police department and the city’s, as well as representatives from the administration. Specific names were not disclosed. Four subsequent meetings were held, with the final hearing set for March 29. The decision was unanimous: alcohol was to be banned on-campus and in the surrounding area.
The University of Pittsburgh is the first state-funded school in the nation to take this kind of precaution for the campus, and it will be the first school to be situated in a dry community. The administration has yet to make a public comment on the matter, but with predicted backlash from the student body and bar owners, many expect that Chancellor Gallagher will be issuing a statement as early as Friday morning.
Because of the uncertainty of the effect of this ruling, it is only effective for one year. On May 1, 2017, it must either be renewed or it will no longer exist. Although it makes it illegal for alcohol to be bought, stored, or consumed within the Oakland neighborhood boundaries, residents will not be charged for being under the influence.
University of Pittsburgh police spokesperson April Lofo says the new measure is long overdue.
“This school should not be known for its parties. Education should be the top priority, and I fully support the decision,” Lofo says.
The university will be working hard to enforce all new laws. Random room checks will be issued monthly, and students are required to open their bags in residence halls if suspected of carrying alcohol. Local police forces will also maintain a noticeable presence during weekends. Both public and school officials are taking this very seriously.
April added: “We will not tolerate any students who think they can outright break the law. We want everyone to know how seriously we will be taking this”.
The University of Pittsburgh isn’t the only school that has considered banning alcohol on campus this year. Syracuse, University of North Carolina-Charlotte, and Vanderbilt have also discussed the possibilities. The school will be placed in a national spotlight. The effects of the new ruling could either inspire other institutions to adapt similar measures or stay away from them.
All things considered, University of Pittsburgh students are expected to vocally express any anger or resentment in the coming month. And they’ll be even angrier to know that this law is, in fact, not real. You heard me correctly.
Check the date.