Editor in chief: Laura Cadiz
Editorial Editors: Bret Jacobson, Laura Lucas
Newsroom: (541)346-5511
Room 300, Erb Memorial Union
P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
E-mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu
On-line edition: www.dailyemerald.com
Party
The Eugene Police
Department
proposes fining
both landlords and
tenants of
residences that
provoke police
response to large,
disruptive
gatherings
Why is it that a few row
dy young people spoil
the image of all college
students?
First it was the rioting of years
past, hven tnougn a minimal
percentage of University stu
dents were involved, the Univer
sity campus and students were
targeted for the “let’s all get
along” message a few weeks ago,
which the Emerald supported.
Now we have a proposed ordi
nance in front of the Eugene City
Council that would fine land
lords and tenants of continuous
ly rowdy residences.
This negative attention is due.
This fall, Eugene police are issu
ing a staggering number of cita
tions for parties, including alco
hol violations and those for
noise. The problem has become
so large and so frequent that the
Eugene Police Department pro
posed the ordinance, which
would fine both the landlords
and tenants of residences that at
tract police response and where
police issue more than one cita
tion on more than one occasion
within 60 days. The ordinance
also has a size stipulation: The
party must have more than 10
people present to fall under the
law.
What that effectively commu
nicates is that the problem
with parties lately is size and
frequency, l he ordinance is not
targeting small gatherings where
of-age people drink and have
some fun.
Thus said, those residences
that monopolize police response
and, in effect, tie up police time,
should pay mdre for the incon
venience it costs police and oth
er citizens who might find po
lice scarce on a Friday or
Saturday night. As Eugene Po
lice Chief Jim Hill said, “I don’t
think the community should pay
for continuous response to par
ties.” (ODE, Nov. 9)
The fine, which could be
$5,000 at the extreme, according
to Sgt. Rick Gilliam, would hold
rowdy party-throwers account
able. They should be held re
sponsible for attracting the large
numbers of people and failing to
control parties they have started.
And it’s not as if they wouldn’t
have been warned. The fine only
applies if the police come to the
same residence for the same rea
son twice in two months.
This responsibility goes with
the territory. If you can’t handle
the fine, don’t throw the party.
What is objectionable about
the proposed ordi
nance is the burden it places on
landlords. The eviction process
for ousting unruly tenants is
fraught with timely legal barri
ers, which place a landlord in a
vulnerable position. Also, land
lords who are often absent or
those who try to control their
tenants are unfairly punished.
The liability for rowdiness is the
responsibility of the tenant, not
the landlord.
Let’s put blame where it be
longs: on people who insist on
disrupting the general peace and
who can even put their partygo
ers in unseemly situations by
throwing big parties. Those par
tygoers who don’t live at the res
idence who also cause problems
are already held responsible.
They are fined.
And if individuals who cause
disturbances or break the law
can be fined, so can those who
control the setting in which the
disturbances occur.
This editorial represents the opinion otthe
Emerald editorial board. Responses may be sent
to ode@oregon.uoregon.edu.
Quoted
“This may be the
most significant
win we’ve had here
because of where
we had been, it
took a lot of
strength and
courage for the
team to come out
and play like they
did.”
— Oregon head
volleyball coach
Cathy Nelson on
her team’s magnif
icent, record-los
ing-streak-break
ing win over
Oregon State last
Saturday. Kudos
and “thumb up" for
never saying die.
ODE, Nov. 8.
“You didn’t just
pay lip service to
the goal of over
coming the divi
sion of Europe and
Germany”
— Former Ger
man Chancellor
Helmut Kohl hon
oring former Presi
dent George
Bush’s efforts to
remove the Berlin
Wall during the
Cold War. The wail
was taken down
ten years ago yes
terday. The Regis
ter-Guard, Nov. 9.
“f haven’t really
talked to him about
that.”
— First Lady
Hillary Rodham
Clinton responding
to questions re
garding whether
her husband will
live in their new
New York resi
dence after leaving
the White House.
Newsweek, Nov.
15.
“Many important
people in the world
don’t care about
the environment as
long as they make
money. We need to
realize that if we
keep polluting our
environment, it
won’t be worth liv
ing in.”
-EricS.
Stechmesserina
letter to the editor
of Time magazine,
Nov. 15.