Lehigh administration to employ increased police presence in upcoming weekends

Lehigh will be employing additional police officers to be a presence on campus and in surrounding neighborhoods in the following weekends, according to an email signed by President John Simon and various department heads.

The email, which was sent to the campus community Wednesday, said the hiring of additional officers is in response to an unusually high number of students requiring emergency medical attention for drinking-related incidents and serious injuries. Officers will use university policies to enforce the law and prevent excessive alcohol consumption. Students found in violation will face arrest and disciplinary action.

“Specifically, we’ve had four close calls in the last two months,” the email said. “Without the intervention of (the Lehigh University Police Department) and others, some or all of these students would have died.”

Although students were reminded earlier this semester of  precautionary measures such as bystander intervention and Lehigh’s medical amnesty policy, the email said this has not provided results and that a more direct approach is necessary.

The email said keeping Lehigh a safe and healthy campus is a responsibility all students share. It said students should exercise common sense and be more conscious of the unnecessary risks both themselves, and those around them, take within their social activities.

“We all want the same thing,” the email said. “We want you to have an extraordinary, memorable Lehigh experience that culminates in your graduation, and not in the intensive care unit of a local hospital.”