(A) Loud and unruly gatherings held at private residences or at rented residential and commercial premises or on public property are harmful to the persons themselves and a threat to the peace, health, safety, quiet enjoyment of residential property and the general welfare of the public. Persons at these gatherings are at greater risk to harm themselves and/or others, to be assaulted or assault others, and girls are at greater risk of sexual assaults.
(B) Problems associated with loud and unruly gatherings are difficult to prevent and deter. Police need an arsenal of tools to deal with the issue of these gatherings and their attendant problems. If persons are held civilly responsible by having to pay a significant fine for gathering where there is loud and unruly behavior, they will be more likely to properly supervise or stop such conduct at events held on property under their possession or control.
(C) In the past and present, law enforcement, fire and other emergency response services personnel have and are required to respond, sometimes on multiple occasions, to these types of gatherings. The repeated return of police officers to the location of an event constitutes a drain of emergency personnel and resources, often leaving other areas of the city without police protection or with unreasonably limited protection. Responses to such gatherings also result in a disproportionate expenditure of public safety resources of the city, which are underwritten by general municipal taxes paid to the city by its taxpayers and residents.
(Ord. 12-06, passed 5-15-2012)
This chapter is adopted under the municipal affairs provisions of the City Charter to protect public health, safety, general welfare and quiet enjoyment of residential property and public property and properties neighboring one of these gatherings; to discourage and deter persons from hosting or improperly supervising a party where there is loud and unruly behavior; and to establish standards and controls of parties, gatherings or assemblages on private and public property when such gatherings are determined to be a threat to the public peace, health, safety or general welfare, or require initial police response and return calls to the location to disperse uncooperative participants.
(Ord. 12-06, passed 5-15-2012)
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