Indiana State Excise Police wrote 54 tickets over the weekend, most of them for students who were busted for drinking underage.
Sgt. Greg Wiese said he couldn't disclose the number of arrests made by his department during St. Patrick's Day in the last few years, but he said the numbers have gone down significantly due to a change in policy by the ISEP.
Throughout Saturday night, students shouted from the streets or their balconies at the excise car, saying things like, "I know you're Excise!" and "I am 21!" One particularly friendly student felt the need to continually compliment the officers as his friend was given a ticket.
"If I had a pen, I would have you guys sign [stuff] of mine," the student said.
Officer Cory Brainard said the heckling didn't bother him because it was part of the job.
Brainard and his partner Brandon Thomas were among the extra officers hitting the streets during the holiday weekend.
They said sometimes students making such a scene will draw unwanted attention from police. But typically, excise officers know exactly what they're looking for when it comes to drinking violations.
"Usually when you approach someone, you can tell that they're wobbly on their feet, you can tell by their eyes - they're bloodshot, you can tell by their breath or you can see that their clothes are messed up," Thomas said. "They are signs right off the bat of an intoxicated person."
In most cases, the officer said he can smell alcohol on a person's breath.
"At that point, we simply determine whether they're going to be a problem to themselves or others," Thomas said.
When the weather is warmer, more underage drinkers are cited, Wiese said.
ISEP is a law enforcement unit that specializes in alcohol and tobacco related offenses, following and enforcing the laws of the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, although they are also able to enforce any Indiana state law.
"We don't have any limitations on what we can enforce, but the primary focus is the alcohol and tobacco laws," Thomas said. "Within the bars and the restaurants, we're the only agency that can enforce those alcohol and tobacco laws."
Because of the new Intensified College Enforcement program that has been adopted by ISEP, more excise police coverage can be afforded in the Ball State area. A special grant allows the department to pay excise officers for working extra hours.
"I worked probably five hours extra last night and maybe all my days off," Thomas said. "It's getting warmer outside, so that means that there is going to be more activity out."
Underage drinking is the most heavily enforced violation by the excise officers. Out of the 27 arrest tickets issued on St. Patrick's Day, 17 of them were for minor possession. Eighteenout of the 21 people issued tickets were minors, although not all of the citations were alcohol-related offenses.
"We can kind of tell by the way people act," Thomas said. "Obviously, the first thing we're looking for is if they're holding an alcoholic beverage. That's the one thing that will tip us off.
"By the way they act after that and their body motions are usually how you tell. Some will try to cup their drink, move away from you, they'll act like their talking to their friend or drop it. Dropping is a dead giveaway."
Though most of the college students that the excise deal with are relatively nonthreatening, sometimes it is necessary to have several officers on the scene.
During a minor possession bust outside of a fraternity on Riverside Avenue, several extra officers arrived to help curtail bystander involvement while the arresting officers finished their work. Even though a suspect may not be an immediate threat to an officer, it's difficult to keep an eye on those not directly involved.
Even though some people might have the impulse to run from an officer, Thomas and Brainard said this isn't a good idea. It can lead to heavier charges and a higher threat of getting injured during a chase on foot.
Despite the long hours and the stressful work situations, both officers said they enjoy the work that they do and understand the importance of their positions.
"When people send their kids off to college, they want to see that they're safe," Thomas said. "I've got a 17 year-old daughter and when I send her off to college, I want to be comfortable knowing that she's going to be safe.
"That, in a nutshell, is why I do what I do."
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