Somerville Police Department launches new strategy to lower noise complaints

After several recent off-campus parties evoked noise complaints from Somerville neighbors, the Somerville Police Department (SPD) is officially cracking down on loud parties.

Somerville Ward 7 Alderman Bob Trane cited numerous and consistent complaints from Somerville residents as the driving force behind a change in Somerville police's approach. "Unfortunately, the problem of excessively loud parties every Friday and Saturday night continues," Trane said.

He said that the city has instituted a zero-tolerance policy regarding noise violations and open-container laws over the last few weeks. "We've made some arrests already for open-container violations," Trane said.

The SPD recently began a new patrol exclusively between Winthrop and Quincy Streets to help maintain "the peace of the neighborhood," Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate Vice President Joe Mead said.

Since enforcing a zero-tolerance policy and adding the new Tufts-exclusive patrol, Trane noted that improvements have been remarkable. "Saturday morning noise complaints have essentially dropped to zero," he said.

Mead, a Delta Tau Delta brother, attributes the SPD's change in policy to the increase of off-campus parties that grew last semester resulting from fewer open fraternities. "The larger frequency [of off-campus parties] led to neighbors' complaints," Mead said. "Because all government is slow to act, the police are just now doing something about it at the request of the Somerville alderman, [Trane]."

Some students feel that the new policies centered on the Tufts party scene will only detract the city from other more pressing issues. Junior Ben Rubinstein said that as the Somerville administration "embraces a new 'get tough on Tufts' policy, it will only become harder for the Somerville PD to control the drug problems and gang violence that are prevalent in the Somerville area."

Rubinstein said that on one recent occasion, "the Somerville police accompanied the TUPD to break up a party at my house... the police entered the house without even asking permission and grossly overestimated the number of guests at our event."

An increasing number of students at off-campus parties confronted by Somerville officers have expressed concern over police tactics. Senior TCU Senator Noris Chavarria, present at a Feb. 13 La Casa House party which was broken up by the TUPD and the Somerville police, charged that the SPD used unnecessarily rude and belittling language.

"I was constantly being yelled at in my face [by the SPD]: 'I want you to know that if I see someone outside here with an open container they are GONE, I don't care who you are, who your daddy is, or where you are from, you are GONE,'" Chavarria said.

Shut down between 1:30 and 1:40 a.m., this party serves as a recent example of students' dissatisfaction with SPD tactics. Several members of the house alleged that on top of being unreasonably physically violent with the DJ, the Somerville officers grossly overestimated the number of students present in their official report.

"Many of the stories I've heard are absurd and an enormous cause for concern. I think that if there were ever a case for action, this is it," Mead said.

Mead said that although to date the TCU Senate has not done enough to mediate relations between Somerville residents and Tufts students, a task force has been created by the administration to evaluate the problem and will incorporate the Senate's feedback.

In order to foster a healthy dialogue, Tufts officials are contacting both TUPD and SPD officers. Neither department is able to speak on the record until those plans are finalized.

Dean of Students Bruce Reitman stressed this need for dialogue between Tufts students and their neighbors if relations are to improve. "Town-gown relations always have ups and downs, and we happen to be at a source of friction right now," Reitman said.

He said that while students would like to say that the Somerville noise ordinances are unreasonable, the fact is that off-campus housing is located in densely residential areas in extremely close proximity to other houses. "There's some understanding that needs to be fostered on both sides," Reitman said.

Reitman added that Somerville police does have jurisdiction over all buildings on Tufts property and off-campus houses, but that previously they would work in greater accordance with the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) for loud parties.

According to Mead, that change in policy is making a big difference to students. "In the past, Somerville would call TUPD for noise complaints and they would handle it quickly and effectively while not upsetting or belittling the students," Mead said. "One needs only to look at the La Casa incident to see the difference in how Somerville and TUPD operate."

TCU senators and administrative officials on all sides agree that the only way to rectify the town-gown relations between Tufts and Somerville is to create an open and frank dialogue. "Somerville and Tufts truly seek to approach the problem in a good and meaningful way," Reitman said.