Cops, UNB denounce ‘unsanctioned’ parties
Fredericton Police Force, university issue joint statement about College Hill disturbances, announcing plan to deploy increased police presence to area for homecoming weekend
Police and the University of New Brunswick are urging parents of high-school students to dissuade their kids from attending unsanctioned off-campus parties this weekend.
This weekend - Sept. 19 to 21 - is UNB’s homecoming, and customarily, the occasion prompts students in off-campus housing adjacent to the university in what’s known as College Hill to throw parties.
The Fredericton Police Force and UNB, through Anglophone School District West, issued a joint statement on the issue Friday morning to parents of students at Fredericton High School and Leo Hayes High School.
“The University of New Brunswick (UNB) and the Fredericton Police Force (FPF) are reaching out today to inform families and students about associated challenges happening in the “hill” area of Fredericton,” it said, noting the neighbourhood - on Windsor, Hanson and Albert streets, as well as Graham Avenue - is populated by numerous university and college students.
“This year, police, the City of Fredericton, and local universities have partnered alongside students, residents, and landlords to reinforce safe behaviours and maintain a positive environment in the College Hill neighbourhood.”
The statement said College Hill typically attracts large crowds during the initial weeks of each academic year for parties, and those attending aren’t limited to university and college students.
Among them, the force and the university said, are high-school students and other local youths, and police are aiming to address safety concerns arising from these parties.
“There will be an increased police presence in the neighbourhood this weekend as we continue working with our public-safety partners and area residents to keep the neighbourhood safe, respectful, and fun for everyone,” police Chief Gary Forward and UNB vice-provost of Learning and Student Experience Kathy Wilson wrote in the statement.
“Sept. 19 to 21 is a weekend anticipated to draw a large crowd, falsely advertised as a homecoming event. UNB and FPF want to remind local high school students and families that these are unsanctioned events. We respectfully ask parents/guardians as well to partner with us in discouraging attendance at gatherings in the College Hill area.”
Such off-campus parties are typically driven by social media, the letter said, and UNB doesn’t sanction them.
“Engaging in excessive noise, property damage, blocking roads, outdoor fires, public or underage drinking or aggressive behaviour can result in fines or charges - and, more importantly, these actions impact your neighbours, your safety, and your community,” it said.
Forward and Wilson urged people to make “safe choices” to ensure College Hill is a positive neighbourhood, and they urged parents and guardians to do what they can to keep teenagers from attending parties this weekend and throughout the fall.
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