University of Virginia Library

Police Arrest Student
For Drug Possession

By PAT PARTRIDGE

City Police arrested
third-year engineering student
Bryant Wibberley last
Thursday at 10 p.m. in his
apartment on 13th Street for
possession of illegal drugs.

About $1500 worth of drugs
and $1000 in cash were found
in the apartment. Most of the
confiscated material consisted
of marijuana and hashish, but
police sources say that some
"chemicals were in his
control."

Mr. Wibberley is now out on
$10,000 bail and is staying at
his home in Hagerstown, Md.
He is being charged with
felonious possession of
controlled drugs.

Hearing Scheduled

Preliminary hearing in the
case should be within the next
two weeks. The drugs are
presently being analyzed in the
police department lab.

Mr. Wibberley has a 3.75
cumulative G.P.A. at the
University. Police officials
expressed regret that the
student possessed the drugs,
but added that he "will have to
suffer the consequences."

University Security was not
involved in the arrest and had
no additional information. City
Police Chief John D. Bowen
was not available for comment
about the arrest.

Charlottesville had been
cited as the center of drug
traffic in central Virginia, and
the police department reports
that the University is the main
problem area.

Drug Crackdown

Albemarle County Circuit
Court Judge David F. Berry, at
a May 30 meeting of University
administrators, students, and
police called for a general
crackdown on drug abuse on
the campus the problem does
not improve.

With the "Chicago"
Homecoming weekend concert
this week, the situation has
become more tense. Dean of
Students Robert T. Canevari
was quoted Sept. 27 as saying
that the University may be
forced to stop sponsoring
University Hall concerts if drug
use does not cease.

"Unless we can keep drugs
out of U-Hall during these
concerts," he said, "the
University is going to have to
suffer the bad publicity of
students being arrested during
concerts."

A drug committee of concert
sponsors, local policemen and
student affairs officials agreed
that ushers should be held
responsible for enforcement of
no smoking regulations to limit
the use of marijuana.

Along with the new ushers'
responsibilities, University
Security will appoint one
person to oversee concert
security. If a person is found
violating the no smoking rule,
he will be forced to leave the
concert. An increase in
the drug problem at the
University and especially at
University-sponsored functions
could have severe
repercussions. The possibility
of "raids" at concerts and in
the dorms and fraternity
houses has been repeatedly
implied.