The Party Registration Pilot Project's initial six weeks has concluded. Stay tune for news about whether this project will become an ongoing service to students and residents of Fort Collins. With each registration we sent out an email asking for student opinion. This, along with registration statistics and community support, will help with the decision about the continuation of the project. Off-Campus Life would like to thank everyone who participated and/or supported the program, including the Fort Collins Police Department, residents of Fort Collins, CSU students, Neighborhood Services, Colorado State University, and dispatch.
Feel free to stop by our office for information on how to party smart. We still offer Party Packs, individual neighbor notices, and other handouts. Click on our Party Smart tab to get tips and other useful advice.
Be Prepared...for fun, for safety, for the police!
Colorado State University and the City of Fort Collins have teamed up to launch an innovative program that could lessen the number of noise complaints. The Party Warning Program offers CSU students who live off campus the ability to register their party at Off-Campus Life and possibly avoid fines. Fort Collins residents also have the ability to register but through the city.
How does it work?
Here’s how the programs works: From August 21st through Sept. 26th, beginning August 17th, CSU students will be able to register their Friday or Saturday night parties at CSU’s Off-Campus Life located in the Lory Student Center. Should a noise complaint be received by Fort Collins Police Services, the registered party host will be contacted by phone and will be given a “verbal” warning to breakup their party in a 20-minute time frame. If a second noise complaint is received after the twenty-minute period, the police will send an officer to the residence to deal with the noise. If an officer is required to make a personal contact with a registered party home, then fines may likely be higher since the situation was not corrected with the warning. The warning process is related to noise complaints only.
New this Year
The Pilot Party Noise Warning Program will be offered to all residents living within the Fort Collins city limits. The program, which began last April, involved only CSU students who registered their weekend parties at CSU’s Off-Campus Life office. The students received
educational materials encouraging responsible party behavior. Residents will also receive
information.
Benefits of the Program
- Reduce the time in which a party is broken up as neighbors will not have to wait for the police to arrive.
- Save money in Fort Collins and CSU Police Departments officer overtime during the Party Patrol/Riot Prevention. Party Patrol/Riot Prevention will not go away nor should it, but hopefully it will lessen the number of officers assigned to those time consuming calls.
- Decrease congestion in the municipal courts.
- With each registration, the student will be given educational materials on partying safely and responsibly; these students may avoid a noise ticket simply because they became a more “informed”
party host by stopping in at Off-Campus Life.
- Lessen the number of officers responding to noise complaints, resulting in less wear and tear on police vehicles driving across town, savings in fuel, and reduction in pollution.
- Save party hosts money, a criminal record and possibly avoid administrative sanctions held by CSU.
“There is a benefit to the party host and nearby residents,” said Melissa Emerson, community liaison for Colorado State University and the city of Fort Collins. “The host will receive a warning call to break up their party. It allows the host to be pro-active and adds another step before a ticket is issued. The program also benefits residents by reducing the time it takes to resolve noise issues. In general, loud parties quiet down much more quickly.”
More information
“I am excited that we have an opportunity to launch the pilot citywide and am hopeful that all residents will take advantage of the service,” said Emerson. “Last spring, we had 76 student households utilize the party registration program and of those who responded to our survey, 100 percent of the party hosts said they would recommend this service to their friends. I also heard from numerous long-term residents in support of party registration because of the simple fact that it will reduce the amount of time it takes to quiet down a noisy party.”
Following the completion of the pilot program last spring, an assessment determined that due to a low number of noise complaints it would be beneficial to gather more information involving all city residents.
“The spring noise complaints have been declining over the years. In fact, when comparing spring 2004 to spring 2009, there has been a 45 percent reduction in noise and party calls,” said Beth Sowder, Neighborhood Services Manager for the city of Fort Collins. “Since fall noise complaints are typically higher, it was decided that offering a fall pilot program would help us better determine the impact of party registration.”