Does Party Registration go far enough?
After the tragic events of Halloween night, where a UW student was killed, the University of Wyoming has taken legislative steps to prevent such actions from happening again. One of those ideas is the “Party Registration program.” It would be along the same lines of Colorado State University’s program, in compliance with the City of Fort Collins and Fort Collins Police Services.
For conciseness, Party Registration is intended to protect the people hosting the party. The hosts would, hypothetically, register their party by Thursday at 5 p.m. with the police. Once the party is considered registered, the police will monitor any complaints once the party starts. If a noise complaint comes into the police department about the party – or the area of the party – the hosts will be alerted that the police are en route within the next 20 minutes, but “a warning is not guaranteed,” according to Colorado State’s Party Registration Program. By the time the police arrive, all non-members of the residence must be gone and police officers will ‘lighten’ their tickets – if any – for the hosts. Obviously, proof of underage drinking or providing alcohol to minors will still be handled to the fullest extent of the law.
This is a sadistically Orwellian idea. It is nothing more than a way for police departments and University services to monitor your activity with a false sense of security. Police now have immediate probable cause in a situation that may have been avoided otherwise. Does the 20-minute window clearly save lives? The threat of the police approaching a party always exists, but chances are low. Party hosts are asked to remain sober through out the party, which places even more restrictions on your actions in your own residence.
Also, the 20-minute window is unreasonably short, especially for college campus parties. Yes, the sight of a police car rolling by a party leads to mass confusion and exodus. But what happens after the dust settles? Kids are more prone to get in their car, while inebriated, and drive away from the situation. The very essence of party registration is to disperse of one big problem in a timely matter. After that, partygoers get behind the wheel of the car. Now 10-20 other bigger problems have been created and there is extreme endangerment to themselves and others. 20-minutes to gather up a crew, with a sober driver, in the confusion of the police arriving is impossible.
Party Registration, on its face, is an over-the-shoulder approach to willingly let authorities supervise you undertakings. The passage of this would, in no manner, prevent tragic and malicious events at parties. It is simply a cover-up for police departments to deny blame.
