AGENDA #3a

 

BUDGET WORKING PAPER

 

TO:                  W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

FROM:            Gregg Jarvies, Chief of Police

 

SUBJECT:       Report on Large Parties in Neighborhoods

 

DATE:             April 28, 2004

 

 

The purpose of this memorandum is to respond to a request from a Council member for information regarding the Police Department’s response protocols to large parties in residential neighborhoods.

 

BACKGROUND

 

In Fiscal Year 2002-2003, officers responded to approximately 1,200 loud noise complaints (down 10% from the previous year).  Included in this total were complaints about loud music from residences and commercial establishments, loud car stereos, large parties, people yelling and shouting late at night, sanitation services, and construction noise.  Officers issued thirty-two citations for noise and nuisance violations.  Noise complaints this year (through March 31) are up less than 1% from FY 02-03.

 

Most noise events that occur in residential neighborhoods involve amplified sound in apartment complexes or pedestrians shouting and yelling late at night.  Though it is difficult to determine exactly how many complaints arise from large parties in residential neighborhoods, we estimate that fewer than 10% of all noise complaints are due to such gatherings.

 

DISCUSSION

 

Officers who respond to complaints about noise coming from loud parties typically ask the host or property owner to take responsibility for mitigating the noise.  This often involves moving the party indoors, cutting off the music, or disbanding the crowd.  The host also is asked to handle any parking or litter violations that are related to the party.  Officers issue citations without warning for any alcohol violations that are in plain view.

 

If the host fails to gain control of the party and the officers’ requests are not met, or if the officers return to the party and the problems have not been rectified, a citation for violating the Town’s noise or nuisance ordinance is issued.  Citations may be issued for other violations, including littering, illegal parking, and failing to disperse from streets or sidewalks.

 

If our records indicate that residents of certain properties continue to present problems involving noise or other criminal violations, a letter from the Chief of Police is sent to the property owner or manager asking for their assistance in stopping the problems.  This occurs a few times per year and has proven to be an effective strategy.  Unfortunately, because there is a significant turnover of residents in rental properties from year to year, our effort to control large parties in residential areas is a recurring process.

 

Most large parties in residential neighborhoods occur in the Westside community (bordered by Cameron Avenue, Pittsboro Street, Merritt Mill Road and West University Drive) and the Northside community (bordered by Pritchard Avenue, West Rosemary Street, Sunset Dive and McMasters Street).  The majority of the parties occur at properties that are occupied by students.

 

Over the past few months we have enhanced our plan for dealing with large parties.  In addition to strengthening our policies of enforcement, we have added a preventive component that we believe will reduce the occurrence of parties that disrupt the neighborhoods.  Our plan is outlined below.

 

Prevention

 

• Beginning in June the Town will include more specific information about the noise ordinance, litter and parking regulations, and the Department’s enforcement criteria in the rental licensing packets distributed by property owners to tenants.

 

• In August, when students return, the Police Department and the University will host informational sessions with students living in affected neighborhoods.  University officials have agreed to provide the finances for these gatherings.

 

• The Town, the University, EmPOWERment and local community watch groups will host small neighborhood gatherings beginning in the fall of 2004.  The goal of the meetings is to give students and long-term residents opportunities to meet and establish positive relationships.

 

• The UNC Dean of Student Affairs office will prepare welcome baskets for new tenants that include small gifts (coupons from Chapel Hill businesses, snack foods popular with students, etc.).  The baskets will be distributed by local community group members in early to mid-August.

 

Education

 

• The welcome baskets described above will include information about the neighborhood in which the students live.  We believe that this will promote awareness of the history of the neighborhoods and the need to have residents work together to preserve that history.

 

• The Police Department will hold annual in-service training for all officers on the noise and nuisance ordinances and on Department enforcement policies.

 

• The Town Information Officer will work with the UNC student newspaper, the Daily Tar Heel, to generate regular updates about rental licensing regulations and other tenant issues.

 

• At the start of each academic year, the Town will send a reminder to all local property managers requesting their assistance in ensuring that their tenants are adhering to all laws and regulations.

 

Enforcement

 

The Police Department will take the following steps to enforce relevant Town ordinances and State laws:

 

• Ensure that late-night noise and nuisance violations that are of such a nature that the violators knew or should have known they were violating the laws are cited without warning.

 

• Continue the policy of issuing alcohol violation citations without warnings.

 

• Ensure that violations and large-scale events are dealt with consistently and properly by police officers and Department administrators.

 

• Refer recurring violations (more than one per semester) by students to the University Dean of Students for possible University sanctions.

 

• Use the Department’s computer mapping capabilities, together with information provided through the Town’s rental licensing program and the University’s student directory service, to track repeat offenders and properties and take appropriate actions against the violators.

 

• When necessary to mitigate problems for which all other remedies have failed, institute legal procedures for injunctive relief as provided for in Section 11-43(e) of the Town Code.

 

SUMMARY

 

We believe that these preventive, educational, and enforcement measures, when combined with the cooperation and participation of property owners and renters, will likely reduce the impact that large parties have on residential neighborhoods.