PSafe Cameras Elicit Blunt Student Reaction on April 20

, by Max Brivic, News Editor

Public Safety (PSafe) officers were out on Foss Hill on Friday, April 20, where they videotaped students smoking marijuana and confiscated some drug paraphernalia from students. Director of PSafe Dave Meyer said that PSafe will use the footage to identify students engaging in drug use and send them to the Student Judicial Board.

“With that many people [out on the hill], pictures are a way of identifying people,” Meyer said. “We [also] took pictures of people as we took pot away from them.”

Meyer said that, although many people were out on the hill around 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon, he noted that many of them were not engaging in drug use and were just outside enjoying the weather.

“I don’t think there were as many people for 4/20 as possible, and many people were just enjoying the afternoon,” he said. “There was not as much marijuana use as we had in the past.”

While some students argued with PSafe officers that this videotaping was against their legal rights, Meyer said that, because the students were in public, it was within their bounds. Meyer said that PSafe will continue using cameras to identify students engaging in illegal activities, especially during upcoming events such as Tour de Franzia.

  • alum

    the entitlement of Wesleyan students never ceases to amaze me. smoking pot is against the fucking law. what makes you think you can do it, just because you’re on campus? yeesh? do it in your dorm room if you dont want to get caught. smoking on Foss is just asking for trouble. yeesh.

    • lol

      yeeesh

    • SickOfThisBS

      First smoking marijuana and possession under 1 ounce is not illegal as it is officially decriminalized in the state of CT. The penalties the school gives out exceed the simple fine the state would have administered under the same situation. Just another example of the Wesleyan Police state, extending massive resources because God forbid college students smoke weed? But on the other hand they let students drink underaged on the hill (a much more legally punishable offense in ct) and leave them alone. Its a ridiculous double standard typical of Wesleyan’s illogical and ill-conceived disciplinary actions.

      How can a community of such smart and talented individuals be governed by such illogical, close minded, and poorly educated administrators?

      Not too mention what does unclear photos of certain students really prove? Such circumstantial evidence what not hold up in an actual court of law. I know its a private institution but I would hope Public Safety and our administrators would have the self-respect to govern themselves in at least a similarly professional manner to the CT police department.

  • Downhill Since Vic Butterfield

    Dave Meyer is out of control, enabled by General Counsel Winakor, who’s just lost two cases, big time.

  • student ’13

    imo this is psafe’s attempt to scare kids away from participating in the tour. they don’t give a shit if we smoke pot on the hill, but they do want tour de franzia to end.

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