The Pennsylvania Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement (LCE) is a branch of the Pa. State Police which enforces state liquor laws. Over the past few weeks, they have been spotted on campus during the weekends.
The Dickinsonian spoke with George Stroud, Vice President for Student Life, about LCE’s recent presence on campus. “For us, we are trying to inform the students about LCE, what they are permitted to do and also inform students about how to interact with LCE when they come into contact with them,” said Stroud. Stroud recommended that students should contact the Department of Public Safety (DPS) if they have an engagement with LCE.
“For the last three years they’ve been here, [their behavior] is the same. They have shown up on our campus, typically without informing anyone at the college that they are in the area, and they are looking for liquor law violations,” said Stroud.
Stroud noted that LCE officers do have jurisdiction when they arrive on campus. However, he noted that LCE officers can only pursue students when they are on public property, such as sidewalks or roads. In order for officers to pursue students on Dickinson’s campus, they need a reasonable cause.
“When LCE arrives, because they are a branch of state police, they have jurisdiction over our public safety. The role of public safety is to help mediate the situation and try to work with LCE and our students to make sure it doesn’t get escalated,” said Stroud. “Their behavior has been consistent, and it’s one in which in my opinion they come into the office often in plain clothes and they address our students in ways I think often [makes] students confused as to whether these are law enforcement officers at all. Our students are taken back by it … I think it would go over better if LCE agents were more easily identified,” said Stroud.
Over the last year, students have been consistently cited by LCE officers. One student spoke to The Dickinsonian about an altercation they had with LCE. This student was walking to a friend’s house at Factory when “we were approached by a group of four grown adults in regular clothing. They circled around us quickly leaving little space between us,” said the student. The LCE officers confiscated the students’ drink and phone and asked for their student ID. The student did not have their ID on hand, so the officers handcuffed the student and threatened to take them to the police station as they assumed the student was a stranger on Dickinson’s campus. “This whole interaction took 30 minutes. It was very embarrassing … so many people saw me in that position,” said the student.
Student Life released an email to the student population indicating how students should protect themselves from escalating encounters with LCE. They recommend contacting DPS to request that a DPS officer respond to the scene for assistance. DPS can be reached by calling 717-245-1111. Stroud emphasized that students should remain calm, comply with the officer’s request and do not run from the officers.
