Approximately four times an academic year, the Furman University Police Department (FUPD) publicly announces by email that it will conduct a DUI checkpoint at the main entrance gate and Timmons Arena entrance. The goal, sources at FUPD say, is to observe whether or not notification motivates students to make safer decisions about consuming alcohol.
During the 2016-2017 school year, FUPD reported handling five DUI incidents on campus. In its third year of implementation, the DUI checkpoint system has been beneficial in that students are using alternative options like designated drivers or Uber while under the influence, Captain John Milby said.
When pressed about the purpose of publicly announcing the checkpoint, Milby continued to support its educational aspect. “We share in educating the students. We’re not in the classroom with the professors, but we are teaching them how to exist in society,” he said.
Hayley Schulze, ‘17, commented that she does not “see how they’ll be as effective as possible” when the police department warns students before the checkpoint procedure.
However, other student opinions on the matter were more favorable. A member of the Student Conduct Board, who wished to remain anonymous, disclosed that the DUI checkpoint makes their job easier. They “draw the line with DUI cases” because it is crucial to keep passengers, pedestrians and drivers safe.
Given that Furman is a private institution, a DUI incident would be taken to the Student Conduct Board before ever seeing state consequences. The case therefore, for Furman students, reflects on their student record, not their criminal record.