Social Host Ordinance

The City of Eugene Adjusts To The Social Host Ordinance

 

If you plan to have a party or get together at your house, you may want to reconsider how many people are going to show up. If it is noticeable that people are there and it is an unruly gathering, the police may show up, resulting in a social host ordinance citation.

The social host ordinance has now been effect in Eugene for eight months.  Police officers continue to patrol the University of Oregon area in order to catch any parties that seem out of hand or unruly. The city council established this new law in order for the university area to be aware of how to party safer.

Kelly Putnam, a Eugene Police Officer, introduced the idea of the ordinance for the city of Eugene to discuss.  She says many Eugene residents approved of the idea but students did not.

“The idea that residents that hold these parties could be fined up to $1,000 was an initial shock to them,” Putnam said. “But it isn’t a guaranteed $1,000. It’s a minimum of $375 and a maximum of $1,000, depending on how unruly the party is.”

The idea went into effect last year because many other cities using a similar ordinance had great success, and the Eugene City Council thought it would work in this community. Students rebelled against the idea of the social host ordinance but did not receive enough signatures on the petition in order for it not to pass.

The Eugene community decided they needed to create a social host ordinance because of the amount of oversized and disorderly parties. These types of parties have been an ongoing issue in the city of Eugene, according to the social host ordinance fact sheet.

Since the ordinance has gone into effect, there have not been any changes to the law. Many students have argued for changes regarding this law since it has started, but Putnam explained the City Council and Police Department do not see the law changing at any time in the near future.  She said the Police Department feel as if the ordinance will keep students aware of their parties and reduce the number of outrageous parties.

Over the last eight months, the Eugene Police Department has been happy with how the city ordinance has been going, said Putnam. Police officers continue to be on watch during the weekends for any parties that are a disturbance to the area. If they see a party that is most likely an unruly gathering, they take action and consider the consequences when they are on scene, said Putnam.

“We want to make sure everyone stays safe and that is the main reason we wanted to make this law,” Eugene Police Officer Chris White said. “We feel as if this ordinance has been able to make students aware of out of control parties and stop many unruly gatherings, and it will continue to do so in the future.”

Students realize that this law is not changing anytime soon, said University of Oregon student Taylor Peskin. Putnam says that this law has made the Eugene community better and will continue to do so.

There has been positive and negative feedback on the ordinance since it has gone in effect. Officials claim that the ordinance has been a positive aspect to Eugene because it has limited the amount of out of control parties. Peskin said she is more cautious about how big her parties get; if they get out of control, she knows to call the police for additional help.

When the ordinance went into effect, it was talked about amongst students, but there were a variety of rumors about what it was. Some knew when the police were going to start enforcing the new law, but others, like last year senior Jordan Cramer, did not.

“It was a complete shock because we didn’t know that the police already started enforcing it,” Cramer said. “We thought that it was a little ridiculous that the police did not do a good job telling students that they were starting to apply this new law.”

The question about what the law is remains among some students. Cramer believes him and his roommates were never properly informed on what the ordinance is and how you receive one. Student Kristin MacDougald explained that she and other students should be properly informed by the city because she never was. “I just think they should send out a flyer to houses and apartments surrounding the university, or even some sort of announcement on campus to inform new and returning students about this law,” MacDougald said.

 

 

SideBar Story: How To Stay Away From The Social Ordinance Fine

Even though students may claim they have not been properly informed about this social ordinance, it is still a law and it’s clear police will continue enforcing it. Given this, there are ways to prepare for the party you are going to have. In order to have a successful party that avoids a citation, there are cautions that you will have to take. The following are some recommendations from MacDougald who proposes the idea of hiring a security guard to monitor a big party. She believes that this would eliminate any and all problems that would rise during a party.

This may help with certain situations, but First Name Needed Putnam explained that just because you hire a security guard does not mean you get a pass if someone calls the police regarding your party.

“Keep everyone inside, keep the noise down, don’t let minors drink in your house,” Putnam said. “This will save you from getting the citation.”

These are the most important things that you can do in order to keep your party under control. Keep minors away, keep everyone inside, and have all windows and doors closed in order to save you and your roommates from a fine that you most likely do not want to pay.

If anyone has any questions regarding the social ordinance, those interested can contact the police department at 541-682-5111. This law controls the amount of unruly gatherings per year and to maintain high amounts of safety for students and residents. The ordinance will continue to make Eugene a safer environment and will not be changing.

 

Sources:

Kelly Putnam- West University Police Department Manager interview, Chris White- Eugene Police Officer interview, Jordan Cramer- Graduated Student interview, Taylor Peskin- Student interview, Kristin MacDougald- Student interview, Social Ordinance Fact Sheet