In a college town, the beginning of school usually means an increase in population, as thousands of students return from summer vacation. Increasingly, the return of students also means the return of underage drinking.

Starkville Police Chief David Lindley said, with the start of school this week, his officers will be out in full force.

“Two of the most significant problems that we have on a continuous and regular basis are dealing with traffic and alcohol and sometimes, unfortunately, a combination of the two,” Lindley said.

In addition to having seven officers on any given shift, the SPD has two full-time DUI officers. The department received two state grants to combat minors in possession of alcohol. The first grant pays for overtime of the two DUI officers and the second grant pays for overtime pay for regular officers enforcing laws prohibiting underage drinking.

Also, the Alcohol and Beverage Commission has two full-time agents located in Starkville, who regularly patrol local bars looking for students under the age of 21 who are consuming alcohol.

ABC officers Jason Counts and Brett Vandiver said they want students to be aware ABC officers constantly are out in the streets of Starkville, patrolling areas like the Cotton District. Counts was quick to add while students may think the ABC is out to ruin the their fun, agents are there to not only enforce the law, but to make sure the students are safe.

With numerous bars in Starkville and Columbus, underage teens are finding new ways to consume alcohol.

Often, students see fake identification as the answer.

Counts said the ABC visits local bar owners and teaches them what to look for to spot a fake piece of identification. However, with most bars hosting drink specials, like dollar well drinks and penny pitchers, and without a penalty for trying to use a fake ID, underage teens still flock to the bars to try their luck.

For Starkville resident, Jesse, who asked her last name not be released, getting charged with driving under the influence, at age 19, drastically changed her life. Jesse was entering her junior year at Mississippi State University, when she was pulled over by Starkville police. Jesse said she had been drinking at her apartment with friends and then at a bar in the Cotton District. Now 22, Jesse said she got behind the wheel of her car to go get fast food. She had barely driven a block, when she was pulled over after rolling through a stop sign. Jesse had been drinking beer and whiskey and described herself as “very, very intoxicated.” For the MSU student, drinking and driving was not uncommon. She noted, before her DUI, there were several instances where her friends hid her keys so she wouldn’t drink and drive. Jesse admitted she had been using a fake ID since she was 15 years old and used one of her two fake IDs to get into the bar that evening.

The DUI was “the worst thing, but the best thing that could have ever happened to me,” she said. Jesse continued to drink while underage and she was issued a citation for being a minor in possession of alcohol, a month after her DUI.

But she said she no longer drinks and then drives. Three years after the DUI, she said she believes age comes with maturity and an awareness that her actions not only have consequences for her, but can negatively impact others, as well. Jesse attended the Mississippi Alcohol Safety Education Program, which is mandated for drivers convicted of DUI, and said the program taught her, “It’s not about going to jail or getting in trouble. It’s about risking the life of someone else.”

If a student is caught drinking underage — or as a minor in possession, as they are commonly referred to by law enforcement — the student is issued a citation and his or her fake ID confiscated. From January of 2011 to May of 2012, the ABC issued over 100 citations for minors in possession., said Counts, noting 66 of those were in possession of liquor, 15 were in possession of beer and 58 of those citations were issued for other offenses such as fake IDs, public drunk or disorderly conduct.

Counts said the ABC sees a spike in underage drinking in the fall semester and the agency will continued to be a visible force in the community.

“We will show an increased presence in Starkville for the upcoming school year,” he said. “We will amp up our efforts and work closely with the Starkville Police Department, Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department, as well as the MSU police department, to control underage drinking in Starkville and Oktibbeha County.”

In a town where the majority of students are under the legal drinking age, Lindley said the department is in a tough situation. “Law enforcement is in an untenable position,” he explained. “In practicality, you know college students are going to drink. We don’t get to pass the laws, but we’re going to enforce them.”

The chief also added, “It’s ironic that you can go fight for your country at the age of 18, but you can’t legally consume a beer.”

So far this year, 1,869 people, ranging from age 18 to 23, have been arrested by state troopers and charged with driving under the influence, according to statistics released by the Mississippi Highway Patrol.

MHP kicks off its “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign on Aug. 19. Troopers will be out in full force, patrolling the highways and setting up roadblocks. They will be assisted by local law enforcement.

Sarah Fowler covered crime, education and community related events for The Dispatch.