Police, fraternities cooperate to curb crime
Foot patrol program eases tension rising due to partying
By Marie Blanchard
Daily Bruin Contributor
Capt. Terrence Baker was fed up. Almost every Thursday, Friday
and Saturday night, his police officers at the university police
department were responding to noise complaints, fights and property
destruction grievances from fraternity row.
"Our officers were responding repeatedly to the fraternities,
and other services were being left undone," Baker said. "We
wouldn’t have enough manpower to answer all the other calls that
were coming in and then we’d have to call LAPD to help us out."
Tension was rising. On one hand university police officers were
overwhelmed by all the complaints they were getting on these
nights. At the same time, fraternities were upset that the police
would come in and shut down their parties without prior warning.
Frustration was building up on both sides and Baker felt like he
was in the middle of it.
"There was no cooperation between both groups."
Finally, about a year and half ago, Baker decided it was time to
get all the groups together to figure out a way of avoiding
conflicts and "minimizing problems on the row."
According to Officer Joe Daum, one of the two original officers
involved in the meetings, "the community was worried about the
alcohol abuse and noise levels coming from the fraternities and the
fraternities were getting sick of the police responding to
complaints."
The Interfraternity Council got together with members of the
police department to find a solution. After many meetings they came
up with a plan – the "Fraternity Foot Beat Patrol."
The purpose of the patrol was to develop an ongoing relationship
between the fraternities and the police officers in order to avoid
future problems. The patrol would entail two officers from the
university police department who would essentially act as mediators
between the police and the fraternities. These two officers, who
would get to know the students, would be designated to take care of
fraternity row when their were complaints.
Another solution they developed was to have fraternities notify
the police of parties ahead of time. This way the police would know
how many officers to have available for the night.
"In the past, actions were too reactionary; we understood that
citing and arresting weren’t always the solutions," Baker said.
The idea was to foster relations between both groups in a way
that made it possible to "intervene before the problem escalated,"
according to Capt. Alan Cueba, who is now in charge of the foot
patrol.
Police officials stressed the importance of making the patrol a
foot patrol. By having officers walking instead of driving Baker
felt that the police officers are in closer proximity to the
community. "There is a stigma attached to the car," said Baker,
"this way we are breaking down a barrier."
Also, along with the notification form comes a pamphlet which
gives tips on controlling alcohol- and drug-related problems that
fraternities may encounter at their parties. Before the party, the
officers sometimes come and give suggestions about how to minimize
possible complaints.
"We may tell them to close a certain door or window so the noise
levels are lower," Baker said.
The program, which was first implemented during the 1994-95
schoolyear, has been extremely successful, participants said.
Officer Russell McKinney, one of the two officers currently in
the foot patrol, said he is pleased with the current system.
"In the past I’d had bottles thrown at me when I went to respond
to complaints at the fraternities. Now, I know them on a first name
basis," McKinney said.
There has also been a significant reduction in noise and
property destruction complaints around fraternity row, Daum
said.
"As time went on, we (police) did a lot less. I think it’s going
to take another two years for the project to become fully
effective. By then, all the members of the house will have
developed a good rapport with the officers," Daum said.
"We are seeing a lot less problems than last year," Baker
agreed. "I think the situation is becoming progressively
better."
Jacob Rothman, the vice president of Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT)
fraternity on Strathmore Drive, praised the program.
"Both officers have always been very respectful towards members
of our fraternity," he said. "They realize that we live here, we
aren’t just hanging out," Rothman said.
He recalled an incident where one of his fraternity brothers got
in a fight with another person who didn’t got to UCLA. "They gave
us the benefit of the doubt since they knew us," Rothman said.
Rothman mentioned how the officers always give them a warning
after they a get a complaint. "That way the problem can be solved
before the police come in. We really appreciate that," he
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