Every year PSU students receive the annual mandated health and safety report. This year there was a section that had very noticeably shifted. There has been a major increase in drugs and alcohol incidents on campus this past year.
Chief of University Police, Stu Hite wanted to clarify some of the statistics in the report.
“The majority of arrests reflected in the statistics involve minors in possession of alcohol,” Hite said. “These cases commonly arise when University Police are called to residence halls, and officers discover underage students in possession of alcohol.”
Hite continued to share where the confusion can arise on the document that gets sent out to students.
“In these situations, students are typically issued a citation or Notice to Appear [NTA] in municipal court,” Hite said. “Under federal reporting guidelines, issuance of an NTA is counted as an arrest. This does not necessarily mean the individual was physically taken into custody or transported to the county jail.”
Student Government President, Darrell McLeod shared that this issue has become more prominent and noticeable during his time here as a student.
“Drug and alcohol incidents have become more prevalent in my eyes with my age. There has been a switch since my freshman year as I have met more people, heard more stories, and learned more through my own eyes the types of experiences that occur on campus,” McLeod said. “Generally, the awareness being brought to the issue has been noticeable for me. That is where we need to start.”
Hite also stated that this increase cannot be boiled down to just one reason.
“The increase likely reflects a combination of factors, including enhanced patrols, stronger reporting by housing staff, and actual incident activity. Improved detection and reporting can contribute to higher numbers alongside underlying trends,” Hite said.
McLeod believes that the Pittsburg campus and community has a lot of structure and support in place to be combative and help students who are dealing with these issues.
“I think the university community does a great job with these related issues. There is always going to be room for growth and improvement, but that does not mean the university doesn’t do what they can, McLeod said. “Providing mental health resources at an affordable rate, having instructional periods for students, and providing preventative measures such as sober monitors and Naloxone are how we prevent incidents from becoming disasters.”
Hite highlighted that PSU programs are taking this issue seriously, and new partnerships have taken place over the years to attempt to keep students safe.
“In addition to education, prevention, and enforcement efforts, Pittsburg State University has taken proactive steps to ensure life-saving resources are readily available across campus. University Police partnered with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, which secured grant funding several years ago, to obtain Naloxone (Narcan) storage cabinets that are now installed in campus buildings.”
Hite also stated that it is typically the same substances that are found by officers and housing staff.
“Our predominant substances we encounter are still alcohol & marijuana. We continuously monitor trends involving both the types of substances and incident locations,” Hite said. “Tracking these patterns helps us focus prevention, education, and enforcement efforts where they are most needed.”
McLeod reminds individuals to be caring and not judgmental in moments where a student might be struggling, or an incident might occur.
“Just remember to always be curious of a person’s actions and not judgmental. These are young adults who are being exposed to the world for the first time, McLeod said. “It is important for us to understand and help, rather than judge and damage.”
