"They [Harvard officials] are too powerful for a small businessman like me to ever deal with. You're adults and you shouldn't be treated like kids. That's ridiculous," another retailer says.

College administrators deny any explicit changes in policy, but acknowledge that they may be more conscious of alcohol-related disturbances.

"What we saw a lot of this year were a number of private parties which were spilling out into the hallways, making themselves public," explains Epps. "Subsequently, as the police got complaints about noise, they went over and on a few occasions found people drinking who appeared to be underage, and they asked for ID."

And in several recent court cases, explains Police Chief Paul E. Johnson, police officers have been held liable for deaths resulting from their negligence.

"Police officers have become very aware of their liability," says Epps. "That is why police behavior has become much more cautious and strict."

"It's not a change in policy, but you might be finding that officers are much less apt to look the other way," says Johnson.

Students are most likely to see this heightened police awareness reflected in stricter enforcement of drinking laws. Although the police will not "be knocking on anyone's doors," Johnson says, they will continue to check for ID's more frequently than in the past.

And enforcement is likely to be especially strict in Harvard Yard, where 99 percent of the residents are underage, Johnson says.

Fake ID Crackdown

Police are also likely to focus on the widespread use of fake ID's to obtain alcohol, Johnson says.

Under a new state law, underage drinkers can have their driver's license suspended for up to six months if they are caught with fake ID. Last week, state officials and liquor retailers vowed to use the new law to step up enforcement of the drinking age.

And last Sunday night, Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 announced to the Undergraduate Council that the University would be making confiscation of fake ID's a new priority.

Johnson points to a case last year as an example of the widespread problems with fake ID's at Harvard. In February, a first-year student was charged with mass production of driver's licenses. He received three years probation and was ordered to pay $1000 in court costs after he admitted there were "sufficient facts" for his conviction.

The student had enough material to make about 50 ID's, police say.

"When you see things like that, you start paying particular attention to it--apparently it is quite widespread here," Johnson says. "The University is going to be taking a very serious view on ID's. It's another giant step."