By Maegan Rocio
Staff Writer

Baylor police have already arrested 10 students for alcohol-related offenses during the first week of school.

“There were 10 in the first week, and so over here during Welcome Week and people moving in, we’ve got folks already learning what the interior of the McLennan County Jail looks like for being publically intoxicated.” said Baylor Police Chief Jim Doak.

Chief Doak said that his greatest concern is the presence of alcohol on campus and the effect of students’ decision-making.

“That’s by far the greatest concern we’ve have on the second day of class is the number of our students are getting intoxicated at way too high a rate,” he said. “It’s bad anytime, but at the start of school, to see this many students have alcohol-related problems, that’s really disturbing.”

In response to the sudden rise of alcohol-related offenses, officers from the Baylor Police Department are stepping up and speaking at each of the residence halls about the consequences of alcohol consumption and intoxication while on campus.

“…We’re getting target specific with issues that we’re very concerned about with our student body,” he said. “And we’re telling everyone in these resident halls meetings about alcohol issues and things we’re really concerned about because we’ve had way too many students arrested already, even before the first day of class, and we’re making a big deal about that.”

At 8:15 p.m. in the Barfield Drawing Room of the SUB, Kandi Knowles, the crime prevention coordinator of the Baylor Police Department, will speak to the occupants of South Russell Residence Hall about alcohol consumption on campus and other safety concerns.