Party Registration Program aims to reduce noise violations

In 2014 the Kent Police Department introduced the Party Registration Program in conjunction with the City of Kent. The program is designed to reduce the consequences of loud parties and other noise or nuisance complaints from neighbors.

Lieutenant Mike Lewis of the Kent Police Department said the program has been in effect for a little over one year and is a good opportunity for students to possibly avoid an arrest or summons to appear in court because a noise violation.

If someone chooses to register their party with the police, they will need to go to the police station 72 hours before the event and inform them that they will be having a party. The police will then copy the individual’s identification as well as the names of two people that will be at the party for its duration.  One of those two individuals is required to be a resident of the property. Each person that is listed as a contact for the police should be able to answer their phone at any time during the party.

“If we get a complaint about your party we will make an attempt to telephone the registrant,” Lt. Lewis said. “We’ll say we received a complaint about your party and you have 20 minutes to remedy that or we will respond and take appropriate action.”

Lt. Lewis said typically the best way to get a party under control if it gets to the point of receiving a phone call from the police is to shut the party down.

Fraternity chooses to participate

Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity member Daniel Hayden is one of two members in charge of registering the fraternity house on University Drive with the police before an event. Hayden said his fraternity participates in the party registration program for every event they host.

“It makes better relations with the campus and the Kent Police because you are letting them know when you are going to be be having a social event at your house,” Hayden said.

Hayden said the program makes events less stressful because they know if they are being too loud instead of just guessing.

Hayden said the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house received a few calls from the police over the course of the last school year, but the situations were taken care of.

“It saved us from a couple of tickets I believe,” Hayden said.

Some feel it is unnecessary

Wes Roche also lives on University Drive but he lives in a private residence rather than a fraternity house. Roche and his five roommates have lived there for the past two years and have not participated in the party registration program.

“We usually only have private parties,” Roche said. “We don’t have underage drinkers here and we only let people in that we know.”

Roche said that it is because of that he does not think it is necessary for him or his roommates to register their house before a party.

Lt. Lewis said that the city of Kent has strict noise ordinances and that noise is not allowed to go past the property line of a structure.

“If we respond to a noise complaint and find a violation we will issue a summons in lieu of arrest for a noise violation,” Lt. Lewis said.

Lt. Lewis said it is hard to tell what impact the party registration program has had on the number of summons and arrests stemming from a noise complaint.

“I can only speculate that those who have chosen to register to party with the City of Kent Police are typically responsible people in the first place.”