More than 100 arrested in Purdue alcohol crackdown

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WANE) - Indiana State Excise Police officers arrested 126 people, issued 37 tickets and wrote eight warnings while patrolling around Purdue University the Labor Day weekend.

They also cited a grocery store for selling alcohol to minors.

On Thursday, officers arrested 19 minors for illegal possession, consumption or transportation of alcohol. Nine adults were cited for aiding a minor to possess alcohol.

On Friday, officers arrested 64 minors for illegal possession, consumption or transportation of alcohol. Four minors were also charged with possession of false ID's and one was charged with being in a liquor store.

Twenty-six adults were arrested for providing alcohol to a minor or cited for aiding a minor to possess alcohol. One person was arrested for a drug-related offense and another for public intoxication. One juvenile was cited for possession of tobacco.

Excise officers also issued 36 tickets for a variety of other offenses, including open container violations, false informing, seat belt violations and other offenses. They also wrote eight warning tickets.

Excise officers were in West Lafayette as part of their Intensified College Enforcement (ICE) initiative, which puts extra officers on patrol around six college campuses: Ball State University, Butler University, University of Notre Dame, Purdue University, Indiana University-Bloomington and Indiana State University.

ICE was launched on three college campuses last semester as a pilot project aimed at reducing underage drinking. This fall semester, it has expanded to include Purdue University.

Indiana State Excise Police officers are the enforcement division of the Indiana Alcohol & Tobacco Commission.

While excise officers have the authority to enforce any state law, they focus primarily on enforcing Indiana’s alcohol and tobacco statutes.