Community joins together to ensure responsible partying
Proactive police and community interventions appear to have been successful in preventing a repeat of last year’s illegal homecoming party and associated disorder.
The September 2017 party saw approximately 4,000 partygoers show up at Chancellors Way, leaving behind substantial litter, vandalism, and crime. Amid community outrage, Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie expressed disappointment in the events of the party and outlined his intention to work with community stakeholders to address the issue.
[trx_slider engine=”swiper” custom=”yes” count=”3″ offset=”0″ orderby=”date” order=”desc” controls=”yes” pagination=”no” titles=”no” descriptions=”0″ links=”yes” crop=”yes” autoheight=”yes” slides_per_view=”1″ slides_space=”0″ interval=”5000″ top=”inherit” bottom=”inherit” left=”inherit” right=”inherit”] [trx_slider_item src=”https://www.theontarion.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/StPattysDayAFTER_PatrickSullivan.jpg”] [trx_slider_item src=”https://www.theontarion.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/StPattysDayBEFORE_UofG.jpg”] [/trx_slider]Excessive littering was avoided during this year’s St. Paddy’s celebrations at Chancellor’s Way compared to Homecoming 2017 weekend.
Speaking to The Ontarion hours before this year’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities were to begin, Mayor Guthrie commented on the preparations underway: “It’s been great, we made a commitment to the community that we would take this seriously.”
Guelph Police Service deployed police officers, vehicles, and a mobile command vehicle, equipped with a surveillance camera, to deter illegal street partying along Chancellors Way, while Richmond Properties, which manages the apartments at Chancellors Way, hired security guards to supplement the police presence.
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Student Life participated by promoting safe and responsible partying through social media and allowing students to register their parties. Registrants received resources and information to help manage their party safely and received free garbage pickup the following day.
“Our method of communication was not to prevent students [from] partying, by all means, go have fun… [but] with the neighborhood’s safety in mind,” said Jay Rojas, the rental living and student leadership coordinator with Student Affairs.
Guthrie expressed his gratitude for the cooperation of community stakeholders: “Many thanks to the CSA and the off campus co-op, the [University of Guelph] administration, the police, and neighborhood groups. They have been a great help and things are going well… I can say at this point I’m very pleased with how respectful the community has been and that is what we are about and that’s what I want people to know about Guelph.”
#GUELPHPROUD
Photo by Patrick Sutherland/The Ontarion