Last week, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) told a congressional committee that different methods must be used to combat fake identification cards. One of the reasons Norton cited for the increased scrutiny is Sept. 11. She says, "The whole issue after Sept. 11 has been the concern of homeland security, and terrorists potentially using this as a way to get fake IDs." Some of the hijackers used fake IDs to buy airline tickets.
Fake IDs can be used for everything from buying a drink while underage to identity theft to compromising national security. Fortunately, despite the increased chance of arrest, there are dramatically different penalties between those who use a fake to get a drink and those who use a fake for more harmful motives. Most students who are caught using a fake ID to get a drink will be dealt with through MPD, while those who use it for other reasons will be charged with a federal offense.
Adams Morgan, several metro stops away from Tenleytown, is where some students from AU both use fake IDs and purchase them. Recently, raids in Adams Morgan led to the arrests of nearly 50 people and the confiscation of over 1,000 fake IDs. The Metropolitain Police Department stations undercover cops and informants in bars to arrest people who use fakes.
It goes without saying that many AU students drink and the majority of undergrads are underage. While underage drinking - both on campus and off - isn't going to stop, students ought to be more responsible about where they go to drink and where they buy their alcohol from. Even using a friend's ID to buy alcohol at a liquor store or a bar is defined as a misrepresentation of identity. Today, with increased arrests, there is an even higher probability of arrest with the misuse of an ID. Our advice: if you're responsible enough to drink, be aware of the consequences.
