Ole Miss Students, Bar Workers Warn of Fake IDs and Frat Drinking

“It’s widespread, without a doubt.”

That is how Reagan Fiser, an Oxford bartender with nearly seven years of experience in the city’s nightlife scene, characterizes the number of underage Ole Miss students finding their way into bars around “The Square.”

Located about a mile from the University of Mississippi campus, the popular college-town district is lined with historic buildings, packed balconies and busy bars that draw large crowds of students and visitors.

An extensive News Media investigation, based on interviews with more than 30 students, bartenders and venue employees, depicts a nightlife culture where underage drinking remains common around The Square. Those interviewed described fake IDs, borrowed identification and other straightforward tactics used to get past age restrictions.

Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill and Police Chief Jeff McCutchen said, in response to the reporting, that the city treats underage drinking, fraudulent IDs, illegal drug activity and the safety of students, residents and visitors as serious concerns.

“We are not suggesting that underage drinking, fake identification, illegal drugs or other safety concerns do not exist in Oxford. Our own enforcement numbers demonstrate that these challenges are real,” Tannehill and McCutchen said in a joint statement.

According to Oxford police, officers confiscated 759 fraudulent identification cards and recorded 378 violations involving minors possessing alcohol, along with 98 citations for fake IDs during the calendar-year reporting period.

PART I: PREVALENCE & LOOPHOLES

‘EVERY STUDENT, EVERY BAR’: Underage drinking grips ‘The Square’

In Oxford, underage drinking is not an isolated or particularly secretive practice.

A sophomore student said obtaining a fake ID often relies on simple word-of-mouth connections, arguing that the practice reaches across campus communities. “I think it’s everyone, it’s everyone … like every student, no matter if you’re in a sorority or fraternity.”

“The bar you go to depends on what year you are,” another female freshman said.

Fiser said some establishments are viewed as “upperclassmen bars” that attract older students, while venues operating under Mississippi’s 18-plus model tend to draw younger patrons.

THE FRAT OMERTÀ: WHISTLEBLOWER WARNS OF ‘CODE OF SILENCE’ AFTER OLE MISS DEATHS, ALLEGED PENN STATE COKE RING

Bars typically identify patrons under 21 with hand stamps and those over 21 with wristbands, but people working in Oxford’s nightlife industry said those safeguards can become difficult to enforce when venues are crowded.

One bartender pointed to an establishment that regularly serves customers under 21, saying it happens “all the time.”

Fiser also warned that low-priced drink specials at 18-plus venues can add to the risk. “Their whole concept is like cheap drinks … That feels a little sticky,” she said.

‘PASSING AROUND THE SAME FAKE’: Bouncers battle ID sharing

Getting past door security rarely requires complex methods; patrons routinely rely on simple hand-offs and ID sharing in line.

“I’ve heard stories of people passing around the same fake, just… back to the person behind them, and it working because people don’t pay attention,” Fiser told News Media. “And a lot of people don’t [try to hide it] because they know they’ll get away with it.”

Local bouncer Haj Bah confirmed catching ID-sharers in real time outside the bar where he works, denying entry to three underage patrons Friday evening — including a pair caught sharing an ID in line.

It all happened just moments before his interview with News Media.

RELATED: Fitness entrepreneur Sam Wood axed after domestic violence charges

A security officer outside flagged a patron handing an ID to another person waiting behind him.

“As soon as they came up I said, ‘No.’ And for that person who passed the ID over, we asked that person to leave too,” Bah said.

He went on to say, “giving that fake ID is the same as a bartender giving alcohol to the child. In my eyes, that is the same thing.”

While bouncers work to intercept hand-offs, freshman student Drew Ferra noted “how easy” it can be to get served under 21, but argued that venue owners shouldn’t bear full blame when patrons present “fakes.”

“The bars here are very strict, but if you have a fake ID, I feel like you can’t blame the bar,” Ferra said. “You’re presenting them something that proves you’re 21. In my opinion, should you do it? No. It’s gonna happen though, right?”

Meanwhile, some long-standing Oxford establishments were praised by sources for aggressive vetting.

“Their bouncers are very trained on what to look for,” Fiser noted. “There is a reason why I feel like those places have lasted.”

PART II: BEYOND THE BARS

Students, industry workers point to illicit drug use

News Media’s investigation also found concerns about illicit drug use extend beyond The Square and into campus Greek life.

Three students, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told News Media they had witnessed cocaine use at fraternity houses and parties.

One bartender interviewed by News Media separately corroborated the students’ accounts, saying illicit drug use at fraternity houses can spill over into the late-night bar scene.

PART III: OFFICIAL ENFORCEMENT DATA

‘THESE CHALLENGES ARE REAL’: City data confirms hundreds of fake IDs, arrests

Following News Media’s investigation, Mayor Tannehill and Chief McCutchen issued a joint statement addressing safety concerns, alcohol enforcement, and fake IDs on The Square.

“We take concerns involving underage drinking, fraudulent identification, illegal drug use, drink tampering and the safety of our students, residents and visitors seriously,” Tannehill said.

She went on to say, “We are not suggesting that underage drinking, fake identification, illegal drugs or other safety concerns do not exist in Oxford. Our own enforcement numbers demonstrate that these challenges are real.”

McCutchen said that over the calendar-year reporting period, Oxford Police reported:

• Approximately 2,800 restaurant and alcohol-establishment checks
• 759 false identification cards confiscated
• 673 public intoxication arrests
• 378 alcohol-possession-by-a-minor violations
• 98 fake-ID citations
• 43 open-container violations
• 38 violations for furnishing beer or wine to a minor
• 10 violations issued to establishments for violations of Oxford’s alcohol ordinance

“Our responsibility is to evaluate concerns based on reported incidents, current trends, investigations, enforcement activity and the evidence available to us,” McCutchen said.

READ: Full official statement from Oxford’s mayor and police department:

News Media reached out to the University of Mississippi, Ole Miss’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, and various bars for comment.