the Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Sunday, August 27, 2006 7:00 pm
The Lincoln Police Department’s “Party Patrol” had a busy weekend. Officer Katherine Finnell said police issued double the tickets Friday and Saturday than they did for the same weekend in 2005.
Citywide party disturbance calls were down to 42, however, compared with 51 complaints made the previous weekend.
A group of officers, designated the “Party Patrol,” devoted special attention to responding to party complaints and looking for parties in Northwest and Central Lincoln both nights. In all, they issued an “incredibly high” 164 citations, compared with 75 tickets for the first weekend of last year’s college term, Finnell said.
Of the 164 citations issued, 91 went to minors accused of being in possession of alcohol, nine went to people with open alcohol containers, and another nine to people maintaining a disorderly house. Eight were accused of procuring alcohol to minors.
The “Party Patrol” is part of a larger effort, including increased penalties for maintaining a disorderly house and collaboration between the campuses and the city, encouraging students to adopt practices that prevent their parties from becoming disruptive to neighbors.