Narragansett Police arrest 10 students during weekend

09/12/07 - It was a busy weekend for the Narragansett Police as officers charged at least eight University of Rhode Island students with underage possession of alcohol and two with disorderly conduct. The arrests, most of which occurred in Eastward Look, come on the heels of a sweep last weekend that netted 14 URI students for a host of alcohol-related offenses.

Narragansett Police Chief Joseph Little said yesterday the department is trying a new tactic this year by asking officers to work overtime patrolling neighborhoods known for loud parties or drunkenness.

"We're focusing on the tangible violations, what officers see when they go into those neighborhoods," Little said.

Little, who assumed his job during the summer, said the number of extra officers can range from two to four. The exact number depends on availability and the final decision rests with the officer in charge during the shift.

Little said the department is also using its electronic records database to identify weekends that are traditionally more rowdy than others and dispatch extra officers accordingly.

Narragansett Police Community Officer Robert Storme said yesterday the department was doing little different than in previous years, but had more manpower to step up patrols, particularly on bikes. Storme said most students charged with underage possession of alcohol were spotted by officers patrolling on bikes.

The students face fines ranging from $150 to $750, possible community service and could be sanctioned by the university under rules passed in October 2005 that expanded the university judicial system's reach beyond the Kingston campus.

Dean of Students Fran Cohen said students arrested by Narragansett Police could face punishment from the university, but each student would be handled on a case-by-case basis.

"Certainly with the Narragansett Police taking these actions there is a greater likelihood more students will face disciplinary action," Cohen said yesterday.

Cohen said the Narragansett Police did not consult with the university before launching the stepped up patrols of student-populated neighborhoods.

The community has traditionally had a strenuous relationship with university students. Students provide an economic boost by renting homes and patronizing local shops but also bring noise, traffic and crime to the seaside town.

In response, the university launched the Narragansett-URI Coalition in 2004 to try and curb underage drinking, instill responsibility in students and improve relations with the town.

"We spent the last couple of years with a very intensive media campaign called RhodeMap to Safety about increased enforcement, what students are accountable for on and off campus," Cohen said.

Cohen called the increased police patrols a positive step for the first few weekends of school when students are still new to the area and possibly unfamiliar with the neighborhoods that contain year-round residents as well as students.

Little stressed neither the department or community is seeking to discriminate against students, but a balance must be struck between the needs of year-round residents and students.

"If people want to go and have a good time, and they can do it and still be responsible toward their neighbors and people who live next door and in the neighborhoods, they'll be fine," Little said.

Some students did not follow that advice this weekend. Police handed out six so-called "orange stickers" to houses labeled as "party houses." The houses are required to post the stickers on their doors for the entire academic year.

The students charged with underage possession of alcohol include:

Shawn A. Sprague, 19, 6 Deer Run, Coventry; Corey R. Hardie, 19, Avon, N.J.; Jonathan Ostrow, 19, 50 Glocester Road, Narragansett; Christopher Lombardozzi, 20, 54 DeSano Drive, Narragansett; Thomas Bell, 20, 20 Black Alder Trail, Narragansett; Thomas Zito, 19, 20 Black Alder Trail, Narragansett; Brad Valois, 20, 186 Cumberland Road, Warwick; Matthew J. Sullivan, 20, Charlestown, Mass.; Derek Candelore, 20, 7 Ashton Lane, Narragansett and Caitlin Murphy, 19, 11 Charlestown Blvd., Narragansett.

Police also charged Robert Braithwaite, 22, 129 Sakonnet Blvd, Narragansett and Raymond Keough, 18, 73 Briarwood Hill Road, Exeter with disorderly conduct.