Police 'must enforce fines for rowdy students' (From Daily Echo)
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Police 'must enforce fines for rowdy students' in Polygon area of Southampton
1:50pm Friday 14th September 2012 in News
By Sian Davies, Senior News Reporter
The Operation Shush signs in the Polygon area of Southampton
RESIDENTS living in a Southampton community are hoping for a quieter life after a crackdown was launched on rowdy revellers by threatening them with on-the-spot fines.
But they say it will only work if the warnings are backed up with action.
As reported in yesterday’s Daily Echo, students risk an £80 fine if they fail to heed the warnings by officers to keep the noise down after the launch of Operation Shush.
Signs have already been put up around the Polygon area warning students and revellers making their way home from the bars and pubs of Bedford Place that they could be handed a penalty notice if they continue to cause disruption to residents.
Patrols are also being stepped up at key times with officers warning partygoers they risk an £80 fine if they do not quieten down or go home.
Lorraine Barter, who speaks for the Polygon Residents Action group, said: “Of course I am hoping it works but I just hope this isn’t just a warning and officers do enforce the threat of a fine.
“It is important students realise their actions do impact on us.”
But some students think it will be difficult to enforce.
Jessie Mulhern, 20, a Solent university student, said: “I don’t think they will keep track of them all.
“It is a student area after all so it is likely to be noisy.
I appreciate there are families living here but when people are drunk they don’t tend to remember that sort of thing.”
A/Insp Ryan Bartlett, who is responsible for the central Southampton area, said: “We want to make students aware of the inconvenience they cause neighbours when they have noisy parties or return home after a night out in town.
“We want to get them to get to know and respect their neighbours who are often affected by loud antisocial behaviour which is often drink-fuelled.”
The message will be hammered home at the Freshers Fairs next week as some 5,000 students begin their university experience.
Students at Southampton Solent and the University of Southampton will also be given advice to reduce their risk of becoming victims of crime .
Engagement officer for the Polygon area PC Jeanette Denton will also be meeting up with the students to provide security tips and guidance on personal safety.
Comments(19)
Georgem
says...
2:23pm Fri 14 Sep 12
Huffter
says...
2:40pm Fri 14 Sep 12
Georgem wrote:I expect students are the only people who are ever rowdy.... oh, and there is a brief reference to 'revellers' in the report!
Let the inevitable student-bashing begin. Again. Good work, Echo.
elvisimo
says...
2:51pm Fri 14 Sep 12
Georgem wrote:agreed, and tomorrow we will have a story about cyclists and the day after something about an icerink. - They should just put the storys up with the previous comments to save people time.
Let the inevitable student-bashing begin. Again. Good work, Echo.
10 Minute Man
says...
3:22pm Fri 14 Sep 12
Otherwise its a case of no contract, no consent to be ruled, and no standing under the police's authority in matters unrelated to their oath of office to uphold the common law.
bigfella777
says...
3:38pm Fri 14 Sep 12
If the students are having a noisy party in their house it is then down to Environmental Health to get involved which involves people keeping noise logs for months,possibly dat recorders being installed if things still dont improve.
By the time they ever get a student or landlord to court the academic year will be over.
Students 1 Local Nimbys 0
LeeB1900
says...
3:44pm Fri 14 Sep 12
LeeB1900
says...
3:48pm Fri 14 Sep 12
bigfella777 wrote:Local authority 1 - Students -10.
You can see what the sign says "Go Home Quietly" . This is because the Police can only get involved with anti social behaviour occuring on the street.
If the students are having a noisy party in their house it is then down to Environmental Health to get involved which involves people keeping noise logs for months,possibly dat recorders being installed if things still dont improve.
By the time they ever get a student or landlord to court the academic year will be over.
Students 1 Local Nimbys 0
The Council have more power than the Police and will take equipment and take idiots to Court. I have contact environmental health and seen their powers and its much greater than the coppers fine schemes. imagine if they took your laptop with 2 -3 years coursework on it because they can do this. I went through hell with noise form students and I back everything the police and the local authrority are doing. The students need to see the powers of the law and they will hopefully shut the **** up!
arthur dalyrimple
says...
4:11pm Fri 14 Sep 12
10 Minute Man wrote:quite correct , corporations in action.
If they are supine enough to consent to being ruled by Acts and statue law enforced by city corp's magistrates then I guess they'll cough up.
Otherwise its a case of no contract, no consent to be ruled, and no standing under the police's authority in matters unrelated to their oath of office to uphold the common law.
commonsence
says...
4:19pm Fri 14 Sep 12
Also many people like myself work at week-ends so need our rest and would appreciate a quiet nights undisturbed sleep.
pushamara
says...
4:36pm Fri 14 Sep 12
commonsence wrote:You may be a little out of touch if you believe students only go out at the weekends. Try Bedford place on a Tuesday evening!
I think it would be good to remind all people who enjoy a night out drinking that noise carries further at night than during the day , not so much traffic etc . Also many people like myself work at week-ends so need our rest and would appreciate a quiet nights undisturbed sleep.
bigfella777
says...
4:39pm Fri 14 Sep 12
LeeB1900 wrote:Ring the Environmental Health out of hours service at night and see how far it gets you,they dont want to know.
bigfella777 wrote:Local authority 1 - Students -10.
You can see what the sign says "Go Home Quietly" . This is because the Police can only get involved with anti social behaviour occuring on the street.
If the students are having a noisy party in their house it is then down to Environmental Health to get involved which involves people keeping noise logs for months,possibly dat recorders being installed if things still dont improve.
By the time they ever get a student or landlord to court the academic year will be over.
Students 1 Local Nimbys 0
The Council have more power than the Police and will take equipment and take idiots to Court. I have contact environmental health and seen their powers and its much greater than the coppers fine schemes. imagine if they took your laptop with 2 -3 years coursework on it because they can do this. I went through hell with noise form students and I back everything the police and the local authrority are doing. The students need to see the powers of the law and they will hopefully shut the **** up!
SotonLad
says...
5:40pm Fri 14 Sep 12
IronLady2010
says...
9:47pm Fri 14 Sep 12
I expect noise on a Friday and Saturday night or I'd move out the City Centre.
Let them have a bit of fun, we were all young once. Just don't wee in my garden ;-)
boobooj
says...
8:51am Sat 15 Sep 12
With that said, having been a (relatively well behaved) student myself perhaps the council should consider the criminal state theat landlords are able to leave properties in, as well as the gallons of cheap alcohol available to them in dives like Jesters and Sobar. Treat people like animals and they are likely to act like them.
Graeme Harrison
says...
9:38am Sat 15 Sep 12
SotonLad wrote:Try section 91 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967.
I assume the police will be issuing £80.00 tickets under Section 5 of the public order act? If so the "student" would have to be arrested if drunk as they can't be issued if drunk. Any police reading that can let me know as this is just my assumption.
SotonGreen
says...
12:23pm Sat 15 Sep 12
SotonLad
says...
2:40pm Sat 15 Sep 12
Graeme Harrison wrote:That's to do with drunkenness. This story does not state its about being drunk. Anyone else know the answer?
SotonLad wrote:Try section 91 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967.
I assume the police will be issuing £80.00 tickets under Section 5 of the public order act? If so the "student" would have to be arrested if drunk as they can't be issued if drunk. Any police reading that can let me know as this is just my assumption.
Mr. Cleanstreets
says...
10:48am Sun 16 Sep 12
1 Doner Kebab = 20 bags of Walker's ready salted crisps, that's a mother load of salt.
The residents lobbying power will be fortified by at least 5o more people once the Churchill Retirement living facility is completed in 6 months time on Henstead Rd.
Students are temps and cannot even put their bins out on the right day, who do you think will win in the long run, them or the homeowners?
Warning to all students: Stop going out and wasting your money, do something useful in your community and focus on something whilst at Uni because the big world beckons, and it ain't pretty out there,
Mr. Cleanstreets says...
2:15pm Fri 14 Sep 12
The Polygon area is slowly going to take shape as a proper neighbourhood again. Pretty soon more professionals will be moving into the big old homes as they are only a stones throw away from the city centre and the train station.
Solent Uni should provide more student housing and the students could be contained. They don't deserve to live in those nice old homes.