Colleges and universities are often subject to criticism from nearby residents who feel that college-age residents living among them are hosting unsafe and unruly parties. These parties often involve excessive noise and alcohol consumption. Because this activity often occurs beyond the campus boundaries, administrators are challenged to respond to such community criticism and to prevent negative alcohol-related outcomes that endanger students’ academic progress, health and safety. Neighbourhood “party patrols,” tailored to address unruly parties hosted by young adults in residential areas, can be an effective tool in reducing problems associated with these gatherings; however, implementing them requires thoughtful planning and cooperation between community members, college administrators, and the state, local or county law enforcement agencies for the areas surrounding a campus. Party patrols are meant to work via general deterrence aimed at potential party hosts. The aim is to have sufficient consequences through enforcement and publicity targeting hosts of nuisance parties to encourage hosts to exercise more control over their guests (e.g., by reducing the number of invitations, lowering noise, and curtailing obnoxious behaviour) while also encouraging guests (via publicity) to reign in their own behaviour and cooperate with the host. If done well, party patrols will eventually reduce the number and size of private parties, as potential hosts come to perceive a greater risk of citations and fines for having large or loud parties. Education, enforcement and high visibility is an effective way to communicate to students that they are members of a wider community and subject to the same expectations and laws as anyone else. The enforcement operations themselves are necessary to show that the expectations are real, but making those operations visible to the student age population is vital to change the behaviour of party hosts and their guests. The purpose of this guide is to consolidate the experience that campus and community law enforcement agencies have gained in conducting party patrols across jurisdictions and share that information with agencies looking for more effective tools to help manage party-related problems. This guide covers six basic components that together will maximize the chances of having success with party patrols. These 6 components include: Effective legal tools, Messaging and visibility, Party prevention and education, Early intervention, Collaborative partnerships, and Enforcement strategies. (Author/publisher)
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