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Police release names of underage drinkers ticketed at Whitewater party

WHITEWATER — Police have released the names of those issued underage drinking citations following an Oct. 21, 2010 off-campus party.

The Royal Purple student newspaper published the names of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater students ticketed. Read the list HERE.

University Police Services, the Walworth County Sheriff's Office and Whitewater Police issued 132 citations.

Police said several people, mostly students, were found in the basement of a home at 928 Highland St. Several residents there face charges of furnishing alcohol to underage persons, sale of alcohol without a license and failure to prevent underage consumption.

The fines could total thousands of dollars, police said.

The incident wasn’t the largest drinking party raided by city police. In 2002, more than 200 people were cited at a house party on Starin Road.

“Underage drinking and unlawful house parties are issues of concern in many communities,” police wrote in a press release. “But in a college town like ours, the disproportionately large number of young people tends to magnify the problem.”

Whitewater Police Chief Jim Coan said officers discovered the party as part of a proactive effort within the department to target houses that host such events. Walworth County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the Highland Street party.

Coan said about 150 people were at the home, but some were of legal drinking age and not ticketed.

Mary Beth Mackin, assistant dean of students at UW-Whitewater, said she already has spoken with Coan about the incident.

Students can face sanctions through the university for off-campus incidents. Mackin said each case is reviewed individually to determine whether it merits action.