It’s college. Parties are everywhere, almost every day of the week. Being at a Big Ten school, it’s almost unimaginable to go a weekend without knowing of something going on. Unfortunately, it’s just as unimaginable to go a month without knowing someone who received an MIP, noise violation, littering fine or disorderly conduct charge.
There’s nothing worse than throwing a party with your friends, only to have the cops break it up within a half-hour of its start. Parties generally start out low-key, but after drinks are poured and music is blared, it’s easy for things to get out of control. Fortunately, the East Lansing Police Department has a few steps you can take that will give you a better chance of staying out of trouble while still having a good time.
Get to know your neighbors
Living on or near a college campus, most people become used to falling asleep to the sounds of people screaming on the streets and 50 Cent’s latest hit on the stereo next door. But you might be surprised by who could get annoyed and make that phone call to the police.
The day before your party, take a few minutes to knock on the doors of nearby neighbors and let them know you’ll be having people over. Ask them to approach you if they have a problem with noise or your guests. That way, you can handle the situation before the trouble of the police getting involved.
Don’t send the Facebook invite to your entire friend list
Facebook.com seems to be the perfect way to invite all your friends to a party, but you have to keep in mind what happens when you create that event. Not only will your selected guests see it, all their friends will, too. Almost everyone has seen a friend or class crush confirm an event on Facebook, then contemplate stopping by.
If you don’t want your party to turn into a free-for-all, just keep the event on private and send it only to the people you want to show up.
“My top (piece of advice) would probably be know your guests and keep it manageable and not just open to the general public walking down the street,” said East Lansing police Lt. Bill Mitchell.
Have other options besides the keg
We might be past our time for fruit punch bowls and Shirley Temples, but if you are throwing a party, include other options besides alcohol for the minors. Make it apparent that you are trying your best to serve only those who are 21 or older.
“If your guests are 21, then they are the ones drinking,” Mitchell said. “If they are doing the best they can and serving people 21 and over and doing their best to watch that, then it’s taken into consideration. But if it’s only 12 kegs sitting at the back porch, everyone doing their own thing, then that’s when there’s a problem.”
Stay off the lawn
“If we happen to be driving by and see (a party) that’s out of control, spilling out on the street or sidewalk, then we will stop and make contact,” Mitchell said.
In other words, if you don’t want the police to make a surprise appearance, keep everyone inside. Or at least out of view from the street.
Keep cleaning up
Parking and Code Enforcement, or PACE, can drive by at any time and hand out party litter fines, which aren’t exactly cheap — they start at $185. If your property isn’t clean, they have the authority to issue you a citation on the spot. So walk around every half hour and pick up.
Keep someone sober
“Have someone in charge and responsible to deal with the situations as they come,” Mitchell said. “If we get called and have to talk to someone, have someone sober and responsible enough to make some decisions.”
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