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University of Maine, Orono and Old Town police reported charging more than 50 people — many of them students — with offenses related to alcohol and drug abuse during the extended Labor Day weekend on and off campus.
“There were a series of incidents over the weekend that resulted in several summonses,” said Director of University Relations Joe Carr.
UMaine Public Safety reported charging 37 people — nine of whom are not students — with offenses related to underage alcohol use from around noon Friday to midnight Monday. Police issued most of the summonses on campus. Vice President of Student Affairs Robert Dana said police charged a few at the Dierks Bentley concert.
“About 70 percent on campus were students. I don’t know the exact numbers off campus,” Dana said.
Old Town police reported charging 12 people for offenses ranging from fake IDs to operating under the influence, according to Sgt. Travis Roy. He said he did not know whether any of the dozen charged were students.
Orono police reported charging one person with operating under the influence, two with bail violations and one with furnishing alcohol to minors, according to Capt. Josh Ewing.
“Thursday night through Sunday night … we had 25 incidents,” Ewing said.
Ewing said three or four of the incidents were arrests and the rest were summons. He did not know whether any of the people charged or arrested were UMaine students.
“They reported summonsing a number of people, not just students,” Dana said. “Probably about 48 incidents in total, and again, many of those incidents did not involve students.”
UMaine police charged three other people on campus with possession of marijuana. People reportedly smelled the drug and told police, who located the offenders.
“There’s a lot of students trying to figure out what the rules and regulations are and trying to get a sense of what the expectations are, and you have all the big events like a concert and good weather and the first weekend away from home. These all conspired to create an atmosphere where a lot of risk-taking occurred,” Dana said.
Dana said the police deployed extra patrols during the first week of school, which may have contributed to their likelihood to “uncover a lot of foolish behaviors.”
Old Town, throughout the weekend, reported charging one person with an OUI, one with illegal possession of alcohol by a minor, five with transportation of alcohol by a minor, two with false IDs, one with marijuana possession, one with speeding and another with operating after a suspension.
“We were pretty busy all weekend. I don’t remember what type of a student or where they were from,” said Orono police officer Christopher Watson. “I know they summonsed a bunch of people.”
Police did not arrest any of the students charged, according to Dana.
Bangor Daily News