The area that I’m responsible for at work is located near near a state university.  As a police officer, I get numerous complaints about loud parties occurring in the residential neighborhoods that surround the college.

What has happened is many homeowners have moved from their homes and are now renting them out to college students…sometimes as many as six kids in one house.  But those renters have friends…lots of them.  And they have parties.  Sometimes three or four parties a week.

Most recently, a pair of enterprising young men distributed a flier to their neighborhood telling the neighbors they were going to have a party and it was going to be loud, disruptive, and possibly unsafe, so the neighbors might consider going out to dinner and a movie, or stay inside their house and lock the doors.  These young chaps also directed the neighbors to not call the police with noise complaints because the event was a fundraiser.

I spent most of my work week going to “repeat” loud party locations and advising the residents in these houses the neighbors were complaining and there would be a citation issued if the neighbors were disturbed and called the police.  Now you would think the college kids would be concerned that the police were coming to their house…not so.  One of the residents answered the door reeking of alcohol - and I could see they had a permanent “beer pong” game set up on a table.  Other contacts I made nodded and smiled, but based on their comments, “Hey, we’re young.  We’re supposed to be wild and crazy in college,” I doubt things will change…Until they start wracking up the citations or get evicted by their landlord.  Because in addition to putting pressure on the kids, we also look to the home owner for some relief.

But the topper for me was when one enterprising young man asked, “At what time do the neighbor’s complaints about noise become harrassment of me?”  Hmmmm.  Do you think he plans on being courteous of his neighbors?

Maybe YOU are reading this post and are thinking what’s the big deal.  Let kids be kids.  Well, I can tell you that every weekend after these large parties (that draw sometimes 200 - 300 young men and women), we have responded to assault with deadly weapons crimes, rapes, traffic collisions, vandalims, and the occasional homicide.  

I’m also guessing if you are reading this post and thinking let kids be kids, you don’t have one of these houses next door to you.

Until next time,

KMA367