The arrest of two Harvard first-years Friday night after they bought three twelve-packs of beer at the Lil' Peach on Mass. Ave. focused campus attention on the Cambridge Police Department's new "Cops in Shops" program.

Inaugurated in Cambridge on Nov. 14, the program assigns plainclothes police officers to patrol liquor stores to enforce alcohol regulations, said Sergeant Thomas F. Rocca of the Watertown Police Department.

"Cops in Shops," which operates in 38 states, is coordinated nationally by the Century Council, a non-profit organization funded by alcohol distillers to combat alcohol abuse, said Carolyn W. Gasper, public relations manager for the council.

The Century Council provides the city with materials, organizational support and advertising for the program, she said.

Rocca said Cambridge and Watertown have agreed to work jointly in the program. The Somerville Police Department declined to participate, he said.

Student reaction to the program was mixed yesterday, with several students expressing dissatisfaction with the state's underage drinking laws.

"I think in order for a law to be valid people have to believe it's [right]," said Daryn David '99. "[The 'Cops in Shops' program] is kind of KGB-esque."

Jason J. Jay '99, said he believes the state's high drinking age creates an enticing mystique surrounding alcohol and induces underage students to drink to excess since alcohol is hard to obtain.

"I think [arresting underage drinkers] sucks, but I can't complain because it's [the police department's] job to make sure there's no underage drinking," he said.

Other students were more sympathetic towards the "Cops in Shops" program.

"If it's effective and it helps and protects the safety of underage drinkers, it's a good idea. It's the drinkers that are breaking the law," said Eijean Wu '99.

Gasper noted that while students feel restricted by the program, community reaction to "Cops in Shops" has been positive.

Liquor retailers, who are invited to participate in the program on a voluntary basis, have also welcomed it as a way to protect themselves against liability for selling alcohol to minors.

"[We joined the program] because we care about our customers and the liability of the store vis-a-vis our customers," said Constant B. Effi, assistant manager of Christy's in Harvard Square.

Before the program was initiated, store owners had to rely on their watchfulness to detect underage customers, he said.