The beginning of this year marks many changes at Ohio University, particularly that of the newly activated noise ordinance. The Athens Police Department has taken a new approach to dealing with unlawful noise; police will still take citizen complaints about noise, but are now issuing warnings and citations to residences they determine to be producing unlawful noise.
What does this mean for you as students? The police may now drive by your party and cite you for a noise violation even if none of your neighbors has complained. In many cases, police are not required to give you a warning prior to a citation - although many students have received multiple warnings this quarter. As your student representative body, OU Student Senate would like to know how you feel about the new enforcement policy. Please send us your stories dealing with
the police and personal accounts relating to the new noise ordinance. Did you have a negative experience with the police? Or perhaps it was a positive one that you would like to share with us. Regardless, we would like you to hear your thoughts concerning the Athens Police Department's new method for handling noise enforcement.
John Calhoun is a graduate student studying sociology and the University Life commissioner of Ohio University Student Senate.
4 Opinion
Letter to the Editor
