Parties dealt with swiftly by police
Greg BurghardtMore than 170 police officers from nine agencies patrolled Main and Washington streets on foot, all student apartment complexes and the community.
Kira Crafton, Haslett sophomore, and her roommates decided to have a party Saturday night. She said people started showing up around 10 p.m., and the cops had stopped by the party before 11:30 p.m.
“They asked for everyone’s IDs, and a few of the people left after that. More people are coming, it’ll be a non-stop flowing party,” she said. “We’re having so much fun for this being our first party.”
Crafton said she took part in tailgating festivities and attended the game until the fourth quarter. CMU lost to Western 35-10.
“It was a sad day at CMU,” she said. “But, we didn’t let it dampen our attitude.”
At that time, around 30 people were dancing and enjoying themselves, including Matthew Gray, Michigan State University senior. Gray said he heard CMU is known for its parties.
“It sure isn’t disappointing me this evening,” he said.
Gray said he’s gone to every Central/Western game for the past three years, always to take part in the parties. He has friends that attend CMU.
“I usually get in trouble with the cops, and I hope that doesn’t happen again this year,” he said.
Crafton said she thought the party would continue until 4 a.m., or whenever the cops showed up next.
Little did either Crafton or Gray know, only minutes later police would show up to break up the party for good.
Everyone was asked to leave and the party ended soon thereafter, with many students calling taxis or finding a sober driver to get them home.
Across town, another small party was taking place and Bay City junior Jon Kasper didn’t expect his two roommates would be taken away in handcuffs by the night’s end.
“About 30 people were at the party, and I didn’t know everyone that was there,” he said. “Seven state police (officers) came in and gave out two (minors in possession of alcohol) and three $500 nuisance party tickets.”
Kasper said there wasn’t a keg at the party and that officers entered the residence without asking.
“I was talking to one officer on the porch, and another one walked in and went right upstairs,” he said.
A Michigan State Police Trooper said officers on foot were enforcing an evening sound ordinance, which prohibits loud music after 11 p.m.
Isabella County Sheriff Sgt. Dale Heugel said Union Township does have a loud party ordinance, determined by the number of people attending and the severity of the noise.
Mount Pleasant Public Safety Director Bill Yeagley said while Lexington Ridge Apartments are not within city limits, the city has both a noise ordinance and a loud party ordinance.
“We usually have a complainant when it is just for noise. For a party to be considered a nuisance party, certain activities must be taking place around a residence,” he said.
Between 15 and 18 criteria qualify a nuisance party, including underage drinking, urinating in public, trespassing and excessive noise.
Yeagley said city police officers usually rely on a nearby resident to make a complaint for noise.
“That’s the way we deal with it. I don’t know legally if a judge would rule on it, but the burden of proof rests on the police to prove it was excessively noisy,” he said. “From our standpoint, we let a citizen call in. We feel it is effective.
“If just noise alone, it’s very seldom we take action at all.”
However, the party was only a portion of the police activity in Lexington Ridge Apartments, 3700 E. Deerfield Road.
Tim Driessnack, Lexington Ridge manager, said an emergency 9-1-1 call was made and the emergency vehicle couldn’t reach its destination because several vehicles were illegally parked in the drive throughout the complex.
Michigan State Police immediately took charge of the situation, towing any car that was illegally parked.
Michigan State Police Trooper Jim Abel said the cars parked along side the roads of the complex were creating a hazard.
“If there were a fire, everything would burn down.”
Michigan State Police diverted traffic away from Lexington Ridge Apartments because the amount of traffic was impeding emergency vehicles.
