Athens accumulated 634 noise complaints during an 11-month period — but the reputation of the streets tallying up these totals spoke louder than any police record could.
Between January and November of 2012, Mill Street built up a rap sheet of 61 such incidents, while the combination of Palmer Street and Palmer Place tallied 68. Streets such as State, Congress, Walker and Franklin had impressive totals as well, according to Athens Police Department records.
In many cases, a noise complaint does not result in a punishment.
“I think it carries with it a reputation of being the place where partiers like to rent,” Athens Police Chief Tom Pyle said. “So Mill Street, Palmer Street, anything in that short north area, they get that through reputation.”
Those who live at and visit Palmer Street know they are coming there for a specific reason, said Dustin Green, a Palmer Street resident.
“Everyone knows that there is a reason you live on Palmer, and everybody knows everybody else there has the same mindset,” Green said. “They just want to party.”
The reason behind his house, as well as the surrounding area, being so crazy has to do with its location, Green said.
“Everyone walks up through here to Palmer Place, and there are two big places over here where everyone parties at,” Green said. “People are just always coming this way. People passing through to go to Palmer Place and Mill Street always end up walking by our house.”
Another roommate in Green’s house, Jake Prokopchak, a junior studying engineering technology and management, said a typical Friday starts with friends arriving around 7 p.m. Drinking and beer pong ensue, with loud music being played and people continuing to show up until, by 10 p.m., no one else can fit inside the house.
Some of the craziest things Green has seen at his house include a 30-person brawl that broke out two Halloweens ago, and having almost 90 people hiding inside after Palmer Fest was shut down this past spring, which eventually led to those who had to get back to the dorms sneaking past police officers.
“Every single guy that lived there had each other’s backs right away, and everyone that was visiting and not from here were kicked out within a matter of seconds,” Green said regarding the brawl. “It showed how close everyone was. Everybody was going to help our friends from down here no matter what. I thought that was really cool.”
Green recalled one officer coming up to his window to issue a noise violation, and Prokopchak said he received a noise violation ticket at 5 a.m. for a party held at his house.
As the area surrounding Mill Street has become completely inhabited by students during the past few years, Pyle said many of the noise complaints the department receives are actually from other students.
“I’m 80 percent certain saying this, but the majority of those complaints are coming from students, against other students,” Pyle said. “Because it’s residents of that area calling us to get peace and quiet, and if they’re a resident of that area, they’re obviously a student.”
Green, while he has seen officers on his street many times, said the residents of his neighborhood and the police have a good relationship and understand each other.
“Every cop I’ve talked to is simply trying to figure the situation out, not really trying to get people in trouble,” Green said. “They’re just trying to best do their job. It’s always been a good relationship between the cops and the kids here.”
Ryan Bennett, a junior studying business who lives at Palmer Place, said the scene for those living at the apartments is very different than the one being projected to the masses, even though it does get rowdy.
“It’s a good time, and you get to hop around,” Bennett said. “You can always try a party on the first floor, and then go to another on a floor above. Palmer Place gives you more of a personal feeling, whereas some of the house parties on other streets are just totally chaotic.”
Events at Palmer Place can be highly concentrated, he said.
Bennett added that he hasn’t seen the police show up to a party at Palmer Place, even though he has heard of it happening before.
“I feel as if they aren’t as strict here as they are at other places,” he said.
Because of the party atmosphere that is maintained on Palmer Street, Green and Prokopchak believe it to be the rowdiest of all the streets.
“A bunch of people here just don’t care,” Prokopchak said. “We just rage, and basically anyone is allowed. We don’t kick anyone out. As long as you’re not stealing beer and respecting the house, we can have a good time.”
