Arrests of UGA students on partying charges up sharply

By Kristi E. Swartz

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It's been two weeks since the University of Georgia was named the No. 1 party school in the nation by the Princeton Review. Apparently, authorities are paying attention.

Twenty University of Georgia students were arrested for alcohol-related charges Thursday night in Athens, including underage possession of alcohol and DUI, according to Athens-Clarke County jail records.

Those arrests – by university and Athens-Clarke County police – bring the total of drug-and alcohol-related arrests made in the last two weeks to 43, according to The Red and Black, the campus newspaper.

According to The Red and Black, arrests of UGA students on drug-and-alcohol charges were already running ahead of recent years. The paper said prior to Thursday night's crackdown, there had been 23 drug-and-alcohol-related arrests since Aug. 9. There were 15 arrests during the same two-week period a year ago. In 2008, 13 arrests were made during that time period, The Red and Black said.

UGA and Athens-Clarke County police departments also are conducting checkpoints Friday night, the campus newspaper said. Classes began this week at the school of 33,000 students.

Attempts by the AJC to contact Athens-Clarke County police spokespersons were unsuccessful Friday night.