There doesn’t seem to be much of a difference between the city of East Lansing and the campus of MSU.
But there are a few differences every student should keep in mind. In fact, a few of the legal differences could get someone into hot water.
“We’re both under the same laws and state statutes,” MSU police Detective Tony Willis said. “Michigan State has an additional set of laws for campus ordinance.”
Many of those policies focus on school policies such as tuition or faculty regulations.
One of the key differences is the open-alcohol container policy. While anyone of age is allowed to have an open container in public areas, such as designated tailgating spots during football games, once that open container makes its way across the street from MSU, it’s against the law.
That’s not to say the East Lansing police are on a witch hunt for open alcohol containers. Lt. Kim Johnson says his department has a much larger purpose in mind when it goes on patrol regarding students.
“We tend to try to hit the quality-of-life issues in the community,” Johnson said. “Urinating in public, fights and disturbances are a much larger concern - minors in possession of alcohol are secondary.
“People need to party and enjoy their friends responsibly. We encourage people to come downtown and have a good time, but any public disturbances we take issue with.”
But that doesn’t mean alcohol is not a concern for East Lansing. Many laws police believe students need to be aware of concern drinking and public disturbances.
“Once alcohol starts flowing, the quality of life issues get involved,” MSU police Officer Dan DeKorte said.
One example is keg parties. DeKorte said it is illegal to sell alcohol without a license, including charging admission at the door or for a keg cup. The law is on the books for both the state of Michigan as a felony and the city of East Lansing. DeKorte said the felony is usually reserved for bigger parties.
“The one that I was involved in, there were nine kegs and 1,200 people inside the house,” DeKorte said of when he responded to a house party where a felony was issued.
Another offense DeKorte stressed was the use of fake IDs. Using false identification is a $500 misdemeanor. The city also has plans to utilize undercover officers during Welcome Weekend to check in on restaurants, bars and liquor stores to make sure no one underage is buying.
It also plans to check for people providing alcohol to minors. Whether at a party or going to the store for a 12-pack for someone, there is a mandatory $1,000 fine.
DeKorte also noted officers may be a little more apt to let a few mistakes go. While Welcome Weekend is an exciting part of the year, officers hope people can be responsible.
“Depending on the number of calls, we may give out a few warnings,” DeKorte said. “But as the year goes on, there will be less and less warnings.”
