As a student of West Chester University of Pennsylvania, you likely find yourself in situations with alcohol. Drinking is a part of college life. But a new study finds the police in West Chester are not afraid to arrest you for crimes related to alcohol.
A study by Ocean Breeze Recovery, a rehabilitation center in Florida, used college arrest data to create a list of the colleges with the most arrests related to alcohol. WCUPA came in second with 184.9 arrests per 10,000 students in 2017.
Arrests related to alcohol may be more likely for Pennsylvania students
The study used data from the Office of Postsecondary Education relating to campus safety and security. The company gathered data on arrests related to drugs and alcohol. The only school with more arrests than WCUPA was the University of Wyoming, with 189.6 per 10,000 students in 2017. Pennsylvania State University came in fourth with 159.6.
The study also found that the Northeast region of the United States had the highest average of arrests at 8.3 per 10,000. Compared to other areas, there was an average of 6.4 in the Midwest, 4.4 in the West and 2.5 in the South.
The effects of a conviction
If you are a college student, an arrest for an alcohol-related crime can be serious. Whether police arrest you for underage drinking, DUI or public drunkenness, a conviction can mean hefty fines, possible jail time and a criminal record that follows you.
As the study shows, police in the West Chester area are not afraid to arrest you if they think you have committed a crime related to alcohol.