Two arrested at Halloween party

Author: Scott Greene

The annual Vitality of the Artistic Community Association (VACA)-sponsored Halloween party required the presence of the Middlebury Police Department (MPD) for the second consecutive year as police arrested two people in connection with an altercation with officers from the College's Department of Public Safety at the Christian A. Johnson Memorial Building, Oct. 26. The incident underscores student perceptions of an increased police presence on campus this semester, perceptions that the MPD claims to be nothing but rumors.

"The Middlebury College Public Safety Officers called MPD after an intoxicated woman in Johnson Hall struck a Public Safety Officer," said Lisa Boudah, director of Public Safety and associate dean of the College. "After MPD arrived, the woman continued to be uncooperative and was placed under arrest, handcuffed and taken from the building. MPD arrested a second woman while they were taking the first one out of the building."

The MPD report of the event states that a Public Safety officer requested assistance because he was punched by Emilie McDonald '07, an alumna. As officers escorted the woman out of the building, Jenna Levine '07.5 followed behind while yelling and swearing.

"MCPS and Officer Newton attempted to stop Levine by shutting a door in front of her, but Levine kept kicking and pushing against the door," according to the report. While resisting arrest, the student "was pepper sprayed in the process." Both McDonald and Levine were later charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. McDonald could not be reached for comment.

"I made a peace sign with my hand and said 'I don't want trouble, I just want to talk,' and that's when I was pepper sprayed in the eye," Levine said. "They then threw me into a separate patrol car where I began to seize up from the chemicals from the spray. An amazing amount of mucus came from my nose and my eyes, and I couldn't breathe out of my nose. It was very scary." Levine was later taken to the emergency room after her release from police custody.

According to student eyewitnesses, McDonald became inappropriately aggressive with the Public Safety officer and then punched him.

"I saw a student being taken down in handcuffs as I was leaving the building," said Steve Chester '07.5, "and another student freaked out and definitely started slapping the back of one of the officers that was there. The cops said, 'You're going to have to calm down or we're going to have to arrest you too.' She didn't calm down and so they cuffed her and I saw her get tossed against a couple walls. These girls were hysterical and carrying on, so the officers had to deal with it somehow, but they were a little aggressive."

A court date for the two women is set for Dec. 3. Levine said the police behavior towards her took her by surprise and she acted only out of concern for her friend.

"They just do whatever they want and that's a scary thing because I thought cops were supposed to protect us," she said. "I wish I hadn't gotten involved but I just didn't want [Emilie] to be alone. I felt like things had gotten out of control and she was unable to protect herself and none of my friends were able to communicate what was going on."

Friday's episode epitomizes the protocols in place between MPD and Public Safety, in which the police only come on campus when notified by Public Safety of an incident requiring assistance. Students, however, claim to have noticed police officers on campus more than ever before, in near social houses such as The Mill and Tavern, as well as in more public places such as Adirondack Circle.

"I live in LaForce Hall, and one night I saw officers at Adirondack Circle and they breathalyzed a passing student," said Maegan Mishico '08.5.

Students aren't seeing things, but they have been misled, according to MPD. Middlebury Police Chief Thomas Hanley said such claims are completely false. Rather, the people that students have seen on campus are agents from Vermont's Department of Liquor Control.

"Who's spreading this stuff?" Hanley said. "There's no truth to the rumor that police have been up there with a dog. It's not coming from us. There was one time when this agent called us up to help him because he had an alumnus that was inebriated and we had to bring him somewhere to be detoxed." Other than such incidents, MPD follows the protocols at all times, according to Hanley.

Boudah agreed, though she pointed out that the situation is not all black and white.

"We patrol campus and they patrol the town," she said, "but parts of the town are in and through our campus. They have to come to campus for lots of different reasons. The bottom line is that they have to have good reason to come, and that seems to not only be appropriate, but it's working also."

An incident at The Mill particularly demonstrates the gray area in MPD-Public Safety interaction. According to Louis Lobel '08.5, a police officer entered The Mill on a weekday evening this fall because he noticed a broom stuck in the building's back door. The officer entered the house and warned students about the possibility of a robbery.

"Police came into the house to take [the broom] and came into the house," Lobel said. "You shouldn't be able to wander into your house if they think somebody is going to steal something. He didn't even knock."

Boudah was unaware of the incident and said that no report was filed with Public Safety.

"Is it a concern? Yes," she said. "It isn't often that I hear about the police entering a College building, but I haven't heard about this. Franklin Street and South Main Street are town roads, but they shouldn't patrol the house. I would need to know more."

Hanley said that he was unaware of the incident and the person on the scene was not a police officer. He expressed concern at the misperceptions of the students and quickly defended his officers.

"It's nobody from our agency," he said. "Most of our officers come from varied backgrounds. Many of them have high standards, higher than the state police."

The protocols, first established in 1998 and most recently updated on June 16, 2006, outline the standard procedure for police operations on campus and relations with Public Safety.

Within the document, a section entitled "Patrol Responsibility" states that "Public Safety provides patrol and security services for the College. Therefore, the campus area is outside the scope of the normal patrol responsibility of the Middlebury Police Department." More specifically, "Directed patrol may be performed on the campus at the request of Public Safety, for a specific purpose, location and duration."

Despite these protocols, the College, the last non-dry campus in the state of Vermont, is still confronted with the presence of Public Safety, police and the liquor inspector every week.

"It's terrible because it really defeats the point of the school being a barrier and protecting students, giving them a safe environment to enjoy themselves," Lobel said.