Police anticipate more bar busts
By MIKE CONNOLLY
News Writer
Benchwarmer's and Finnigan's may not be the only bars raided this school year. In a release about the raid at Benchwarmer's Wednesday night South Bend Police said they will continue to look for underage patrons in taverns.
"The South Bend Police Department has been monitoring the underage patrons throughout the city in different bars and taverns in the past and will continue to do so in the future," Captain John Williams said in a prepared statement.
Kim Fenzel, a junior science major, thinks Notre Dame is somehow more involved with the police this year in arresting underaged patrons at local bars.
"I just think Notre Dame is taking more action this year, especially since last year it seemed like nobody got busted. This year even parties are getting busted and people are getting carded at parties," said Fenzel who was at Benchwarmer's Wednesday night but is 21. "I just think [Notre Dame and the South Bend Police] think the problem is getting out of hand. But I don't know why this year is any different from last year."
Bill Kirk, assistant vice president of Residence Life, said the University is not pushing the South Bend Police to bust more bars this year.
"I don't know why people would think that," Kirk said. "South Bend Police and the City have the same interests that we do. We regularly speak with South Bend Police and the City but we don't discuss any specific things related to drinking."
Kirk also denied having prior knowledge of the Finnigan's or Benchwarmer's busts.
"I learned about it in [The Observer] today," Kirk said. "I am not trying to evade anything. I didn't know anything in advance."
South Bend Police did not return phone calls requesting comment on the apparent increased number of citations this school year.
Although cited students outside Benchwarmer's Wednesday night said more than 50 students were cited, the Police reported only 18 underaged citations. All 18 underaged patrons were Notre Dame students.
According to a police press release, officers "have responded to Benchwarmer's for numerous complaints about disturbances inside and outside the establishment" in recent weeks.
At 10:45 p.m. officers entered Benchwarmer's to observer underage patrons, police said. When they noticed numerous patrons who appeared to be underage, they called in several other officers and began checking I.D.s according to police reports.
Police said several fake I.D.s were confiscated.
Both the St. Joseph County Prosecutors Office and the University were notified of the citations.
Kirk could not comment on possible punishments for the students cited.
"The process is like its always been," he said. "I don't know what will happen until we examine the case more closely."
Most of the 147 students cited at Finnigan's Irish Pub on Oct. 2 received a $100 fine from the University in addition to a $220 fine and 40 hours of community service from St. Joseph's County.
A manager at Benchwarmer's had no comment on possible legal consequences for the bar.
Two members of the men's basketball team and one football player were cited at Finnigan's. None of the 18 people cited at Benchwarmer's were football or men's basketball players, according to police records.
All News Stories for Friday, January 26, 2001
