Twenty of 23 students interviewed for this article, mostly sophomores, said they did not know their basic rights on campus when it comes to the police.
And some were just wrong about them.
"If you're over 18, you can transport alcohol as long as it's not an open container," sophomore Jennifer Gerson guessed.
Six other students agreed with Gerson. But according to head of the Medford/Somerville branch of the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) Captain Mark Keith, it is actually illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to transport alcohol, even in an unopened container.
This is equivalent to possession of alcohol by a minor, he said.
Students also scored low on other questions about their rights.
Six of the 23 students thought that police do not have the right to enter dorm rooms, six thought that they did, and two admitted they didn't know. Nine students said they thought that it depended on the situation.
"They have to suspect that you have alcohol in your room," sophomore Roni Herbst guessed.
But "under Massachusetts General Law chapter 41, section 98, a police officer is authorized to affect an entry into any building to quell a breach of peace," a police memo provided by Keith read.
This section applies to dorm rooms. As all TUPD officers have master fobs, they can freely enter any common areas.
"Any dorm areas, we would have access to," Keith said. "Your actual dorm room would be private space. We can't enter without probable cause."
What constitutes probable cause is not always clear. "It's up to the officer," Keith said.
Eighteen out of the 23 students polled also wrongly thought that a student is not obligated to answer the door of an off-campus house.
"I don't think you have to let them in, unless they have some sort of warrant," sophomore Veronica Jackson said.
Most TUPD officers never find themselves in a position where they are barred entry into a house, Keith said. When police officers arrive at a house after a noise complaint has been received, "generally, contact is made with one of the residents," he said.
In the rare occurrences that students do not come to the door, the police do have the right to enter the house if the disturbance is violating the right to peace of the surrounding homes or borders on violence.
This is in accordance with Massachusetts state laws.
"Off-campus disturbances [are] a big issue," said Keith. "A lot of students don't see it as a violation of law to have a party that is loud."
All police reports are sent to the Judicial Affairs Office. Off-campus reports, however, are also sent to the Coordinator of Judicial Affairs and Community Processes. This office is part of the Office of Residential Life and Learning, said Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman.
Though the position is currently in the process of being filled, its purpose "is to help the neighbors and students living in proximity with one another to better understand each others viewpoint," Reitman said.
But not every encounter with the police will result in a report to the Dean's office.
"It depends on the incident," Reitman said.
"Sometimes they wouldn't send up a report unless they think it's something that needs to be followed up on. There will be situations where our officers give a warning to someone but [don't] write it up."
This article is third in an ongoing series about campus social life.
