The Bradley University Police Department is making its presence known in a new way, through the “Party Contacts” system.
The program, which began this past weekend, aims to educate students hosting parties around campus in order to keep them safe, BUPD Chief of Police Brian Joschko said.
Joschko said the party contact is a “front porch intervention.” If officers suspect a house with party activities, they will find the party hosts and talk to them outside about responsible party hosting and provide educational outreach.
“The intent is to be educational, not intrusive,” Joschko said. “The outreach is toward responsible party hosting and not targeting underage drinking.”
The educational guidelines the BUPD will provide includes:
- Party hosts should know the attendees of their party
- Drinking age requirements and potential tickets or criminal charges to people hosting underage drinking events
- Keeping people inside; outside, partygoers create noise nuisance complaints and attract uninvited guests
- Party hosts should encourage responsible alcohol consumption
- Party hosts should be assured guests have safe rides or walk home in groups
- Party hosts should make sure no one leaves with alcohol
Joschko said officers will be patrolling on-campus and off-campus, including greek and non-greek properties. Officers will identify parties through regular patrolling, listening for noise and looking for crowds of people.
When a party is identified, officers will approach party hosts to provide advice even if the party has not received any prior complaints.
As part of this program, Joschko said, the party hosts would generally not be forced to end the party. The hosts would not necessarily be referred to Student Judicial or the criminal justice system if they comply.
The “Party Contacts” program is funded in part by the Illinois High Education Center’s Enforcement of Underage Drinking Laws grant.
