About 175 people have been arrested for underage drinking in the campus area this football season, according to police. Of this total, 45 were arrested on Nov. 18, the day of the Michigan game.
Undercover police who were part of the Stop Teenage Opportunity to Purchase program, made the arrests by making their way onto porches and into houses during tailgating parties.
Lt. Shawn Bain, director of the program, said this year had the largest amount of underage drinkers taken in by the STOP program so far. He said it was mostly because of the increase of officers in the campus area, especially the day of the Michigan game.
"We had a definite impact in curving the post game celebration," Bain said.
Some students who were recently arrested said they were denied their legal rights, verbally abused and strip searched, but police denied or dismissed many of the claims and said some were based on misunderstandings.
"They never read us our rights," said Jason Sabo, 20, a sophomore in business who was arrested on Oct. 7, when OSU played Bowling Green. "We were handcuffed and taken away."
But Maj. Michael Herell said the Miranda warning is for the interview process.
"If you're drinking and I ID you and you are underage, I can arrest you. I don't have to read your rights as long as I don't ask you questions about the specific crime, like where you get the alcohol and who did you buy it from," Herell said.
Students were also concerned about the amount of time spent in custody and the length of time they waited to make phone calls.
Herell said officers try to make the process go quickly, but when there is a high volume of people, someone has to wait.
"If 30 people come in at the same time, the first five will say it was quick and the last will think it took a long time," Herell said. "We are equipped to handle the volume of people, but it may take longer depending on the circumstances and the number of people that come in."
Herell said rambunctious people really slow down the process because officers have to stop recording information, inventorying valuables and providing phone calls so they can control these situations.
The STOP program is paid for by federal grants and is administered by the Franklin County Sheriff's Office. It was started with the goal to reduce the opportunity for juveniles to purchase alcohol, but was expanded in 2003 to include possession and consumption of alcohol.
Officers in plain clothes walked around the campus area on game days looking for people drinking who are under the age of 21.
The officers asked young-looking tailgaters for identification and if they were under 21, they were taken to the command bus on Lane Avenue and Tuttle Parkway.
Starting on Oct. 28, the STOP program made the booking process simpler by having a clerk's office located at Lane Avenue and Tuttle Parkway.
Bain said the on-site clerks office "simplifies everything and streamlines the whole process."
After initial paperwork was done, most students were taken to the Jackson Pike Jail in south Columbus.
"The discourse that the officers had in the jail was incredible," said Jordanne Skocik, a junior in zoology who was also arrested the day of the Bowling Green game. "We were called the OSU cheerleaders over and over. F--k was used every other word."
But Herrell said when offenders arrived at the Jackson Pike Jail, everything went according to protocol. They were interviewed about their medical history and their valuables were taken, inventoried and put into clear plastic envelopes.
Then offenders were searched.
"We pat them down and check for bulges that shouldn't be there, like weapons or drugs, Herell said. "In the appropriate area, they dress out and their clothing is removed and put in holding."
After a quick picture and an arm band is added to their new outfit, offenders are put in a holding cell while their charge, address and details of the crime are recorded, he said.
Despite students' claims that they were unjustly strip searched, Herrell said, "We don't strip search anyone, without documentation from the courts."
After the offender makes bail, Herell said they have to wait for documentation to arrive from the clerk's office before the offender is released.
"We don't want to keep them there. Come on we're dealing with kids 19 or 20 years old. When they're arrested we want to get them out of there, we need the space for more serious offenders than that," Herell said.
The STOP program will continue to look for underage drinking around campus and Bain said he hopes the program will deter students from underage drinking.
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