<br/>Policing the town Policing the town <br/>At 9:17 p.m. on Friday Aug. 30, Baldwin City Police Officer Chad Rine went "10-8" &#8211; told the dispatcher he was ready for a call &#8211; left the station, climbed inside his patrol car and signed onto a laptop. This is the computer he uses to look up criminal records. If you've been legally prosecuted and found guilty, Rine can punch in your name and instantly find out.At 9:17 p.m. on Friday Aug. 30, Baldwin City Police Officer Chad Rine went "10-8" – told the dispatcher he was ready for a call – left the station, climbed inside his patrol car and signed onto a laptop. This is the computer he uses to look up criminal records. If you've been legally prosecuted and found guilty, Rine can punch in your name and instantly find out.
Policing the town
At 9:17 p.m. on Friday Aug. 30, Baldwin City Police Officer Chad Rine went “10-8” – told the dispatcher he was ready for a call – left the station, climbed inside his patrol car and signed onto a laptop. This is the computer he uses to look up criminal records. If you’ve been legally prosecuted and found guilty, Rine can punch in your name and instantly find out.
If Rine pulls you over, what pops up can sway his decision: If your record is clean, Rine is less likely to scribble out a ticket.
“You don’t want to crowd the courts (with minor offenses) so we just use discretion,” Rine said.
Rine writes a lot of citations – most are alcohol related.
In 2007, Baldwin Police issued 48 DUIs and those are just the municipal court offenses. <br/>On this particular Friday, Rine pulled his patrol car from its parking space aiming to add to the already bloated list by nabbing a drunken driver. On this particular Friday, Rine pulled his patrol car from its parking space aiming to add to the already bloated list by nabbing a drunken driver.
On this particular Friday, Rine pulled his patrol car from its parking space aiming to add to the already bloated list by nabbing a drunken driver.
“At certain times during the year, the federal government gives the states a bunch of money to go out and get drunk drivers,” Rine said. “(During these times) the state pays for all of the officers’ overtime.”
The government selects events associated with alcohol use to have campaigns like "Booze it and Lose it," where police officers keep a special eye out for drunken drivers. <br/>When Rine weaves through the streets of Baldwin, he tries to drive on each one at least three times a night, trying to be as random as possible. If he catches someone, he uses the Intoxilyzer 8000 &#8211; a product with an $8,000 price tag &#8211; to test the driver's breath, because roadside tests are fallible. When Rine weaves through the streets of Baldwin, he tries to drive on each one at least three times a night, trying to be as random as possible. If he catches someone, he uses the Intoxilyzer 8000 – a product with an $8,000 price tag – to test the driver's breath, because roadside tests are fallible.
When Rine weaves through the streets of Baldwin, he tries to drive on each one at least three times a night, trying to be as random as possible. If he catches someone, he uses the Intoxilyzer 8000 – a product with an $8,000 price tag – to test the driver’s breath, because roadside tests are fallible.
Lately, due to gas prices, Rine’s encouraged to drive less. Sometimes he’ll slip his car behind a tree near Sixth Street and watch cars course in from out of town. This is a good spot, Rine said, because drivers tend to take less lively routes after a night of drinking to dodge police surveillance.
When the bars close, Rine stays close to scan people leaving for signs of impairment. Alcohol can make experienced drivers look like students taking driver’s ed – they tend to hug the lines, zigzag from the middle to the side and brake too early.
Rine also spends a chunk of his time busting house parties and breaking up bar fights.
“In Baldwin we have an alcohol problem, you know, with of course the college,” Rine said. “Most crimes are alcohol related. DUIs, fights, domestic violence, MICS … a whole slew of things.”
Alcohol flows freely
With a population of 4,200, Baldwin has two bars – positioned adjacent to one another – and two liquor stores – only separated by a street crossing. Senior Austin Inzer, who works at Callahan Liquor, said most business comes from Baker students.
“(Students) come in at the beginning and ending of everything, spring break, fall break, three-day weekends … We get huge spikes at the beginning and ending of all that,” Inzer said. “We have (liquor stores) instead of a movie theater, instead of a bowling alley, instead of anything that a lot of towns do have.”
Callahan Liquor opens at 9 a.m. and often conducts its first sale at 9:01 a.m. Students trickle into the store until close.
The Mine Bar and Grill also thrives because of Baker students' love of alcohol. <br/>Owner Mike Magers said Baker students account for about 80 percent of sales and business booms during the semester. When summer, fall and spring break come, sales slump. Owner Mike Magers said Baker students account for about 80 percent of sales and business booms during the semester. When summer, fall and spring break come, sales slump.
Owner Mike Magers said Baker students account for about 80 percent of sales and business booms during the semester. When summer, fall and spring break come, sales slump.
“The bar business is so whimsical,” Magers said. “Business kind of depends on the students. When they leave for the summer it drops off.”
Limited effect <br/>So how much damage would the absence of alcohol do to Baldwin's economy? Not much,&#160; Professor of Economics Alan Grant said.So how much damage would the absence of alcohol do to Baldwin's economy? Not much, Professor of Economics Alan Grant said.
So how much damage would the absence of alcohol do to Baldwin’s economy? Not much, Professor of Economics Alan Grant said.
“Sure, the jobs at the pure liquor places would disappear but other places in town that serve alcohol would probably be just fine with soft drinks,” Grant said. “And from the economists’ perspective, we’re not that big on police because the policeman doesn’t produce much. They just protect what’s already been produced. … So you take away the alcohol, you lose the police jobs, but you also lose the need for the police jobs.”
As is, the police jobs are still needed. At 2 a.m., Aug. 30, Rine and officer Caleb Lewis pulled over a car with four people, all 21 or under. Inside the car was a half-gallon of Southern Comfort, an unopened 30-pack of Bud Light and an open container. Everyone had been drinking.
“These kids just don’t know what they’re doing,” Rine said. “You just watch it … all of the crime and think, I’ve got to go out and do something.”