Parties Near TCU Campus Getting Out Of Control
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FORT WORTH (CBS11) - Off campus parties around TCU this year have demanded so much police attention, officers won't be offering any more friendly warnings to quiet down. Police sent a letter to the school saying officers will be taking enforcement action from now on, including tickets and arrests.
On one weekend night in September, Captain Donald Hanlon said the West Patrol Division had 15 calls for service, all around the campus. Every officer on duty was responding to the calls. The rest of the beat area, which stretches from Lake Worth to the north, down to Benbrook to the south, was essentially uncovered.
"It's been a drain on resources," he said. "And that's the worst case but we've had many other instances where the majority of my patrol officers are in the TCU area."
The school wrote in a statement Wednesday that its role is to coordinate and support police in their efforts. Hanlon said the school and its police department had been helpful.
Complaints have spiked from residents this fall, Hanlon said. Besides noise problems, he said students are leaving trash in yards, and urinating as they move from the parties in neighborhood houses back onto campus.
Police met with fraternity and sorority presidents in an effort to stop the problem. When that didn't work, police decided to move to enforcement.
Daily crime logs from TCU Police show they have handled more alcohol related calls this year. From August through the first week of October they have responded to 47, up from 29 last year.
In the first weekend of enforcement police only arrested one person for public intoxication. Just one fraternity had a party that was a problem, Hanlon said.
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