Smart Party program

COLUMBUS -- Ohio State University and Columbus police officers will join forces in a new effort to control parties in the University District neighborhoods starting this weekend. 

The plan calls for two teams of Columbus and Ohio State police officers to patrol the areas east and north of the campus on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as for student-led educational efforts and a variety of methods to reduce alcohol consumption.

A task force of Ohio State students and staff, Columbus and Ohio State police officers, area residents and property managers, and local business and civic leaders appointed by Interim Vice President for Student Affairs William H. Hall put together the plan, which drew upon suggestions from student leaders following several incidents last fall in which large parties got out of control.  The Safe Party Program, whose tag line is “Smart Party,” will be operated on a pilot basis this spring and evaluated for continuation next fall.

“The Safe Party Program is intended to be an aid to our students who want to have a good time in a responsible manner,” said Hall.  “It is proactive, educational and beneficial to the entire community.  The plan is not to end off-campus parties; it is to end the destructive and dangerous behavior that accompanies those that get out of control.  As good neighbors, the university feels a responsibility to use some of our resources to help solve a problem of concern to us and to the larger community.”

        The task force’s report listed a number of findings and recommendations:

• The group found that the area has a widely perceived reputation as the place to go for parties, attracting young people from outside the area, including large numbers of non-students and some high school students. 
• Numerous parties are held by residents, some of whom are Ohio State students. 
• Police reports show that about two-thirds of those arrested for party-related offenses have no affiliation with Ohio State. 
• Most parties are not disruptive or destructive, nor do they involve over-consumption of alcohol or illegal activities. 

  However, large outdoor parties with large amounts of beer, usually in kegs, are the ones most likely to get out of control.  Problems associated with these parties include underage drinking and other violations of alcohol laws, excessive noise, trash and littering, property damage, arson and, occasionally, assaults and other personal violence.

  There has been some success with educational efforts to inform hosts of their legal and social responsibilities, and to help them better plan to manage their parties.  Off-duty Columbus Police officers have been hired in the past by some Greek organizations to help limit party access to those specifically invited.

The task force recommended a two-part response:

• Building on a suggestion from student leaders to provide police support for responsible party hosts, the group suggested teaming an Ohio State University police officer with two Columbus officers in walking or bicycle patrols through the neighborhoods from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m.  The officers will function in an educational and proactive way to deter violations and to help hosts control behavior that appears to be getting out of hand.  While the goal is to prevent trouble before it starts, the police will be expected to take appropriate enforcement action if necessary.  They also will record and report Ohio State student behavior that falls under the Code of Student Conduct, which provides for university judicial action against students involved in serious crimes against persons or property even when committed off campus.
• The task force also recommended regularly contacting area student residents in educational efforts designed to prevent disruptive party behavior.  In the same way that Block Watch and Adopt A Street have been successful in getting students involved in solving neighborhood problems, the Smart Party project can provide instruction on responsible partying, controlling guests, preventing over-consumption of alcohol, interacting with police, and similar topics.

  Other recommendations included: creating a “Designated Host” initiative, supported with nonalcoholic beverages supplied by the university and Coca Cola; providing printed materials with information on being a responsible host; continuing the Late Night Party Breakfast program; continuing to work with area property managers in structuring lease agreements that support responsible behavior; and working with area alcoholic beverage distributors to limit the number of kegs of beer sold to an address.

  The mutual aid compact between the Columbus Division of Police and the Ohio State University Police Department is not unprecedented.  For several years, the two forces have patrolled together in the campus area during the between-quarters breaks in the university calendar in a successful effort to reduce residential burglaries.

  Commander Suzanne Curmode, who is in charge of the CPD’s 4^th Precinct, which covers the university area, looks forward to the pilot project.

   “The real test will be to see what happens this spring, but I am a supporter of trying this approach.  We would much rather prevent trouble than deal with the aftermath when parties get out of control.  If this joint policing effort is as successful as we hope, it will be a benefit to everyone.”

  Ronald Michalec, chief of the OSUPD, is equally optimistic.  “This program fits in well with our community policing agenda of serving young adults on and now also off campus, and we are hopeful that we will be able to add both extra staffing and another dimension to the Columbus Police’s efforts to deal with this challenging situation.  We have found our past experience working together on the burglary prevention project to be very satisfactory and look forward to testing this concept in the area of community policing.”

  Funding for the Safe Party Program comes from the university’s Coca Cola licensing agreement and existing alcohol awareness and off-campus student services programs.  It is estimated that the cost will be about $20,000 per quarter.

  “The safety of our students is our foremost concern,” said Vernon Baisden, assistant vice president for public safety.  “We also want to help our students learn about civic responsibility and to provide appropriate assistance in addressing this community issue.  I think this is a creative and positive approach that relies mostly on adapting existing resources.”

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