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Brandeis Police: Altercation Raises Question About Police Conduct

(Click here to view the original thread on the MassCops Message Board)

Posted by: fscpd907

Accusations of police misconduct arose after Brandeis police placed a student in protective custody in the Foster Mods early Saturday morning.

Walaa Sbait '08, a Palestinian student from Haifa, said he was leaving the Mods around 1:40 a.m. Saturday when he saw a police car pulling into the crowded quad. That's where Sbait's account and the police's sharply diverge.

The police, who came in response to a disturbance call on a night the Mods were full of partying students, said that Sbait threw himself toward a police car and sparked a heated confrontation with an officer Public Safety identified as Thomas Espada.

But Sbait, who was released from the Waltham Police station at 10 a.m. Saturday and is not facing criminal charges, said he backed away from the police car, and before he knew it, Espada was threatening him with pepper spray.

Every student witness interviewed seemed to agree that the police made a simple occurance worse.

"They came across a situation that could have been resolved really quickly, really easily without confrontation," Alex Mithoefer '09 said. "And this one officer created a problem where there wasn't one."

Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan, who typically speaks for the department, disputed allegations of police misconduct.

"I don't see anything in the report that it was excessive," he said. "People can take exception to anything. But we have to err on the side of caution, which it looks like the officers did."

But Sbait, who is exploring possible legal action against how Espada treated him, said he felt humiliated by how the officers treated him, and insisted he was taken into custody for no reason.

"The Brandeis police are supposed to help students," he said. "They are abusing their uniforms. They are abusing the justice that Brandeis stands for."

It would seem the source of the confrontation happened in a span of about 15 seconds - the only 15 seconds that no one besides Sbait and the police officer seemed to see.

Will Chalmus '07, Sbait's roomate, said he and Sbait were walking back to Chalmus' car when Sbait fell a couple steps behind to say goodbye to people.

"On the way to my car, he was two steps behind me, and now he's locked up and I don't know what he did," Chalmus said. "There's nothing he could have done [during that time] to get arrested."

But Callahan said Sbait threw himself toward the car, and that once the officer got out, Sbait was belligerent, disorderly and uncooperative, eventually flailing his arms and screaming in protest.

"It's kind of unusual that someone would throw themselves in front of a moving car," Callahan said.

But Sbait vehemently denied that claim, and said he was calm and collected when speaking with the officer.

Witnesses, while acknowledging that Sbait gradually grew more combative, implied that Espada was more responsible for the escalation. Several witnesses said they heard Espada threatening to mace Sbait and friends who had come to help him and even observers gathering around the scene.

"All [Espada] said was 'cooperate or I'll arrest you,' and he never gave me a chance to cooperate," Sbait said.

The police and Sbait's accounts diverge in other ways. The police report said Sbait was flailing his arms frantically; Sbait and witnesses said his hands were always on the police car. The report also said Sbait was drunk; he denied being intoxicated.

The report also went on to say Sbait repeatedly slammed his face against the partition separating the front and back seats as the car was pulling away. Witnesses said he held up a peace sign against the window.

But these disputes aside, what witnesses saw clearly left them jaded.

"It was a terrible abuse of their authority," Mithoefer said.

Chalmus said: "Something needs to happen with the situation. The way they reacted is only going to create more problems in the future."

But Callahan, who declined to comment on whether Sbait would face University judicial charges, said that "certain things, we have to do, for the good of people."

How can you hold up a peace sign if your handcuffed?


Posted by: csauce777

Quote:
Every student witness interviewed seemed to agree that the police made a simple occurance worse.
Big surprise there...

Quote:
The report also said Sbait was drunk; he denied being intoxicated.
If he was a PC, he would have been given a BT...if he blew under, he would have been free...obviously theres more to the story, like maybe he blew a .18 or a .20 and doesnt feel like mentioning that. What an asshat...


Posted by: RPD931

These students are just young versions of the asshole liberals of our future. It's obvious they don't understand the reasons for PC. And like many liberals, their police theory is "leave me alone" but of course the second they become a victim they cry that the Police failed to protect them.

The Police responded because someone called, most likely another student. We all know that in crowded situations like these there is always going to be some action that is not favorable amongst the group of idiots.


Posted by: PBiddy35

They are abusing the justice that Brandeis stands for."

Hey Sbait, see police, get out of the way and let them do their jobs. You were clearly intoxicated, part of a disturbance, and directly antagonizing the police. Now you look like more of a moran by making a scene instead of sleeping it off and going home.


Posted by: CampusOfficer

"They are abusing their uniforms."

Bad uniform, bad uniform!!!


Posted by: underdod47

On a seperate note,why was this officer sent to this area by himself ? where was his backup ? and why is there any question of dicipline from the university ?


Posted by: j809

Quote:
"They are abusing their uniforms."
I do that too, i tell the cleaners, extra starch on the shirts.


Posted by: Wiggum_1

The officer wasn't by himself, he had a back-up. He was too busy dealing with the nit's buddy who tried to help him get away.

There won't be any action against the officers, as far as I know.

As for the melonhead, he'll probably get a slap on the wrist .


Posted by: hubble

I am sure that Sbait well knows that had he to done this to a Palestinian Authority cop he wouldn't be around to sue or to bitch. He'd probably be dead. What a bunch of softies political correctness has made of us when we even have to actually listen to this piece of offal and his fellow whiney students.


Posted by: briand1180

I know Tommy, we played Football together in College and he is a great kid and a hell of a cop, working on campus as well I (we) all know that the wonderful students have a different point of view, Tommy Keep up the good work Kid....


Posted by: fscpd907



To the Editor:

The one exception to my positive assessment of Brandeis has been the Department of Public Safety ("Altercation raises questions about police conduct," Oct. 17 issue). As an extremely law-conscious individual, it is shocking to me that I have had so much interaction with the University police at all. It seems as if officers are eager to find, or sometimes even cause, a conflict, as allegedly occurred last Saturday night. Whether through unfair parking tickets or lectures about activities that the police assume all students engage in, I have been negatively affected by the presence of the Brandeis police.

As a first-year, unaware of parking regulations, I was confronted, lectured and sworn at by a University officer who simply wanted me to move my car, which I had no problem doing. In addition, when I needed assistance with a theft that had taken place, the police were of absolutely no help, even losing the report that I filed twice. All that being said, I understand that a university police force is necessary to protect the students on campus. But does it really serve its purpose if incidents such as the excessive use of force in the arrest of Walaa Sbait '08 occur and the officers have a constant confrontational attitude towards students? The clear answer is no, and something should be done so that Brandeis can truly guarantee safety and security for its students both from lawbreakers and harassment at the hands of the Department of Public Safety.

-Aaron Rosenberg '09


Posted by: SSPO#11

Oh no.....this must mean that Brandeis is doomed. They are going to have to start walking around with key rings and it's going to be a horrible place to work......


Posted by: soxrock75

Quote:
Originally Posted by fscpd907


To the Editor:

The one exception to my positive assessment of Brandeis has been the Department of Public Safety ("Altercation raises questions about police conduct," Oct. 17 issue). As an extremely law-conscious individual, it is shocking to me that I have had so much interaction with the University police at all. It seems as if officers are eager to find, or sometimes even cause, a conflict, as allegedly occurred last Saturday night. Whether through unfair parking tickets or lectures about activities that the police assume all students engage in, I have been negatively affected by the presence of the Brandeis police.

As a first-year, unaware of parking regulations, I was confronted, lectured and sworn at by a University officer who simply wanted me to move my car, which I had no problem doing. In addition, when I needed assistance with a theft that had taken place, the police were of absolutely no help, even losing the report that I filed twice. All that being said, I understand that a university police force is necessary to protect the students on campus. But does it really serve its purpose if incidents such as the excessive use of force in the arrest of Walaa Sbait '08 occur and the officers have a constant confrontational attitude towards students? The clear answer is no, and something should be done so that Brandeis can truly guarantee safety and security for its students both from lawbreakers and harassment at the hands of the Department of Public Safety.

-Aaron Rosenberg '09
What a little Puke. First time away from home and he thinks he knows everything.


Posted by: HELPMe

Quote:
Originally Posted by PBiddy35
They are abusing the justice that Brandeis stands for."

Hey Sbait, see police, get out of the way and let them do their jobs. You were clearly intoxicated, part of a disturbance, and directly antagonizing the police. Now you look like more of a moran by making a scene instead of sleeping it off and going home.
Agreed, to further add my .02 i had a student the other day say that we (campus police) cant take her beer because she watches law and order and knows her rights...the next genius said that he was a CJ major and said that i couldnt tell him to keep the music down because it was his 1st amendment right...an ultra liberal school like Brandeis is gunna have the pink wearing, anti war, anti meat, green party supporting kids that were never told to shut up and get a job by their parents. ALL those kids get mommy and daddy to pay their 50k a year tuition. I see nothing wrong in what the officer did, if the kid didnt shut up and didnt obey the lawful commands of a police officer then he should get a taste of the orange stuff.


Posted by: ferus fidelitas

i am a police officer in a large municipality - at one time I was a campus officer... some of you need to be pragmatic and calm down.. I have 2 children in college - they are there to learn, they are young, they are good people.. sometimes I shake my head in disbelief at the hostility some of the campus officers on this thread have towards students.. calm the f down.. never mind the obsessive desire for Ch 90, the desperate desire that people recognize your "police" powers, that they see you as "real" police ... just do what you're employer, the college administration, expects of you ...and be fair and pragmatic. "Real" police cut a lot of breaks - no one is perfect - this job is not about screwing people over, just because it's an option- some of you- certainly not all, need to look at the big picture and calm down. The job expects good judgement, looking at the big picture, doing the right thing.. Screwing people over for a lifetime, just because you can, although more appropriate options are available.. is not respected or expected of you. The vast majority of campus officers, in my experience, are level headed.. unfortunately, some are on power trips and are a pain in the a..


Posted by: Edmizer1

I was a campus police officer at a large university and now work a as a municipal PO. There are some benefits to working at campuses - free tuition for your family, and some pay very well with benefits much better than municipal depts.

I was made to understand very quickly that I worked for a university that was there to educate young people, not to see how many students could graduate with criminal records. We dealt with things in-house that definately would have been arrests by city police but I think we did a good job for our community. We took alot of abuse from the kids that would not have been tolerated by the city police but we were told by our employer that it was part of our job - which it was. At our university there was a housing shortage that required 3rd year students to live off-campus. The only bad thing was that the kids would treat the city cops the way that they had treated us and the reaction of the city police was not the same. The university actually started teaching the kids that the city police would react differently than the campus cops as part of their off-campus orientation.


Posted by: fscpd907

It appears that the Brandeis Officer’s used a tremendous amount of discretion dealing with this incident. They placed the student into protective custody due to the fact that he was highly intoxicated. They definitely could have “jammed” him up with criminal charges (Disorderly) but they are handling everything in-house.

I fully understand working in a college environment and our role in the community. I would say that 80% of the people we arrest have a previous criminal history and their actions have gone above and beyond what any reasonable person would tolerate. We all know that in-house college charges have way more teeth than anything the District Court will hand out.

I have seen your “Big City Real Police” arrest an under age kid for a mouth full of beer so it goes both ways. Some guys / girls get into this profession because they love the power trip. They have infiltrated every agency and are a disgrace.


Posted by: ferus fidelitas

agreed.. the bottom line is "always look at the big picture"... don't be a cowboy or you will be considered to be an unfair, over-reactionary, pain in the ass that is so shallow that he/she feels a need to prove themself - being calm and pragmatic is respected more..


Posted by: Macop

Wait, two ashole liberals with badges, now ive seen it all.


Posted by: Macop

Here we go, is gonna be another campus vs. municipal pissing contest. I dont think this thread is about that, it is about asshole kids, not weather someone was trying to assert a real cop attitude, jesus dose it always have to be reduced to that?


Posted by: Macop

Oh, and what the hell does CH 90 have to do with this thread? And in case you are wondering my posts are in response to Ferus Fidelitas and Edmizer1.


Posted by: Delta784

Quote:
Originally Posted by fscpd907
I have seen your “Big City Real Police” arrest an under age kid for a mouth full of beer so it goes both ways. Some guys / girls get into this profession because they love the power trip. They have infiltrated every agency and are a disgrace.
Sorry, but that just reeks of insecurity.


Posted by: fscpd907

It was in response to this quote:

"Real" police cut a lot of breaks - no one is perfect - this job is not about screwing people over, just because it's an option- some of you need to look at the big picture and calm down. The job expects good judgment, looking at the big picture, doing the right thing.. Screwing people over for a lifetime, just because you can, although more appropriate options are available.. Is not respected or expected of you.

I am merely pointing out the fact that all departments have people who do not use good judgment and fail to see the big picture. I honestly do not care about the “real” vs. “fake” police debate and understand our role in the law enforcement chain.




Posted by: 5-0

Quote:
Originally Posted by ferus fidelitas
i am a police officer in a large municipality - at one time I was a campus officer... some of you need to be pragmatic and calm down.. I have 2 children in college - they are there to learn, they are young, they are good people.. sometimes I shake my head in disbelief at the hostility some of the campus officers on this thread have towards students.. calm the f down.. never mind the obsessive desire for Ch 90, the desperate desire that people recognize your "police" powers, that they see you as "real" police ... just do what you're employer, the college administration, expects of you ...and be fair and pragmatic. "Real" police cut a lot of breaks - no one is perfect - this job is not about screwing people over, just because it's an option- some of you- certainly not all, need to look at the big picture and calm down. The job expects good judgement, looking at the big picture, doing the right thing.. Screwing people over for a lifetime, just because you can, although more appropriate options are available.. is not respected or expected of you. The vast majority of campus officers, in my experience, are level headed.. unfortunately, some are on power trips and are a pain in the a..
The problem that I see is that college is also supposed to prepare youth for the 'real world'... How does it do that when students learn that 'police' are supposed to give them rides around campus, lock/unlock doors, and be their friends? If you did work on a campus then you have to understand that a watered down perception of police = bad for everyone. Salem State College anyone?


Posted by: DodgeRam

I went through an academy with Tommy. Keep up the good work, dont let this little prick get you down. Anyone who works in or near the campus can probably agree with me in saying some of those kids are complete liberal dinks.


Posted by: Macop

I'm a former Campus Police Officer (private college) and there was no shortage of liberal assshole kids. NOT all of em were like that, but the majority were.


Posted by: ferus fidelitas

no Macop, far from a liberal... who hasn't dealt with an overly gung ho pain in the ass that makes a mountain out of nearly every mole hill...?


Posted by: mpd61

Quote:
Originally Posted by ferus fidelitas
no Macop, far from a liberal... who hasn't dealt with an overly gung ho pain in the ass that makes a mountain out of nearly every mole hill...?
Yeah but.............

You still painted campus policing with generalizations. You alluded to the "real cop" syndrome. Your "gung ho pain in the ass" has been observed in EVERY agency from time to time.


Posted by: new guy

I don't understand why people with no first hand knowledge of this incident choose to take such a strong stance one way or the other. My guess is that the kid probably deserved getting PC'd but I wasn't there and I don't know all the facts. Hopefully it will be determined that the officer acted appropriately to the situation and he'll be able to put it all behind him and go about his bussiness. As for singling out the campus police profession, do we really need to go down that road again ? Like it or not, people complain and second guess the actions of police officers, from all types of agencies, all the time.


Posted by: Macop

New guy is right, as for you, Ferus Fedalitas(I take back the asshole part of a previous post) it seems you already have decided that the Police Officer was some kind of hot head, or maybe I read your post worng. As far as your own kids, i'm not sure what that has to do with the Brandies incident. Are you one of those "not my kids!!" who think that thier kids are the great exception (what does that have to do with it??, nothing but YOU brought it up.)

You also wrote:
never mind the obsessive desire for Ch 90, the desperate desire that people recognize your "police" powers, that they see you as "real" police
Maybe i'm illiterate, sorry if I am but I don't recall reading anything in the article about CH 90. Lets get off that subject, the preverbial horse has beaten.


Posted by: firefighter39

Quote:
Originally Posted by ferus fidelitas
.. sometimes I shake my head in disbelief at the hostility some of the campus officers on this thread have towards students.. calm the f down.. never mind the obsessive desire for Ch 90, the desperate desire that people recognize your "police" powers, that they see you as "real" police ... .. unfortunately, some are on power trips and are a pain in the a..

And this is why most campus administrators don't want their security forces carrying guns!


Posted by: Macop

Firefighter that is not even remotely an articulate or credible argument of any kind.


Posted by: ferus fidelitas

Macop, who knows... ? we were not there.. I'm not fond of disrespectful kids or 'in your face because i can be' officers - both bore me. If kid deserved it - good, got what he asked for.. If officer was itching to show his authority - he should get a life - it's all about being pragmatic - punks, yahoos - both are a pain in the ass


Posted by: fscpd907

To the Editor:

In "Altercation Raises Questions" (Oct. 17 issue), Brandeis Police Officers were accused of using excessive force and "abusing their uniforms." I was appalled at what I had read.

As supervisor of the Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps (BEMCo), over the past year I have worked side by side with those officers. These officers dedicate themselves to ensuring that our campus is safe. They have a difficult and unappreciated role on our campus. They have to deal professionally with intoxicated and belligerent students weekly. These officers help ensure the safety of not only themselves and bystanders, but also of the people who are causing the problems.

The events described in "Student hospitalized after mushroom-induced incident" (Oct. 24 issue) is just one of numerous examples where the Brandeis Police officers were at their finest. BEMCo was requested for a student who was experiencing a life-threatening injury. Had it not been for the quick response, professionalism and courage of these officers, BEMCo would have not been able to treat the patient properly. These officers secured the scene and restrained the patient, which allowed life-saving care to be administered.

I want to say thank you to the men and women who put themselves on the line each day to make sure that our community is safe. I personally witness the wisdom and bravery of these individuals. They care about the students here. Their role is to keep us safe and to maintain a secure environment. They should be thanked for all that they do for us, not humiliated by a single incident involving intoxicated students.

-Yoni Litwok '07


Posted by: new guy

Quote:
Originally Posted by firefighter39
And this is why most campus administrators don't want their security forces carrying guns!
So how do you account for all of those agencies that have gone from unarmed to armed within the past 5 to 10 yrs. ( Salem, Bentley, WNEC, Fitchburg, Westfield, etc.) Did the admin clean house and hire all new officers before making the transition, "absolutely not." Each admin has their own reasons for arming or not arming their officers. I would say very few, if any, choose not to arm their officers because they don't trust their officers. You seem to have a negative bias towards the campus police profession and if that's the case, than your entitled to that, but if your gonna make negative assumptions, than atleast be able to back them up with a logical explanation.


Posted by: Macop

ferus fidelitasm, I could not agree more.


Posted by: fscpd907

Parties off campus are still on the radar

Parties monitored, but serious trouble is rare

Daniel Pereira

Posted: 11/14/06

It was supposed to be just a small welcome-back party. But on a Saturday night in mid-September, the residents of an off-campus house watched in awe as a continuous stream of students poured through their door, eventually overflowing into their yard and parking lot. With cars dropping off full loads of partygoers at their doorstep, the students saw the whole affair snowballing out of control.

"I was standing outside trying to get people back inside, and a BranVan pulled up with 15 or 20 kids, and I didn't know a single one of them," one of the residents said. "When you have one party at Brandeis, everybody finds out about it and everyone shows up, whether they know you or not."

Another of the residents, who were all granted anonymity for fear of legal repercussions, added: "We knew a cop was going to come at some point."

When the Waltham Police eventually did arrive to break up the party, the residents said they were relieved.

That relief quickly turned into worry, when an officer handed the residents a court summons. A month later, the students found themselves facing a county clerk and a police officer on potential charges of disturbing the peace. In the end, they were given probation.

Their tale is a cautionary one, but it's also far from typical of the consequences students face for holding parties in their off-campus houses. Most parties that attract police attention result only in warnings from the police and from the University and administrators, students say. Police usually just go around knocking on doors when party traffic-and noise-flows outside onto the street.

But while students often allege that police target their houses unfairly and that administrators are in cahoots with the Waltham Police, most accounts seem to dispute that common conspiracy theory.

"[I'm] very happy with the students who are living off-campus right now," Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer said. "No one on this campus is expecting them to live like hermits and pull the blinds and go to bed at nine at night."

Nevertheless, Sawyer said, "Brandeis students are citizens not only of the campus but also of the city and the state ... there are certain expectations the University has for the community, on-campus and off."

Consequences and Conspiracy

These expectations include the understanding that getting in trouble for an off-campus party means potentially facing actions from both the University and the law. When the Waltham Police break up off-campus parties, they give their reports to Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan, who refers them to Sawyer. Sawyer explained his system of "ranking" parties.

First, there's the simple noise complaint, he said, which rarely sees any disciplinary action. The second is the same thing but on a larger scale, requiring the responding officers to call for backup and deal with dispersing large numbers of people. The third category is characterized by "tangling with the people at the party, someone so drunk that the police had no choice but to put them in protective custody."

"You get the picture," Sawyer said, describing various examples. "It's chaos ... it's embarrassing."

But Sawyer was quick to note that this type of chaos only happens once, maybe twice, a year, and that "this fall has been the easiest fall that I've had."

Things haven't always been so peaceful though, Sawyer said. The time around last Halloween saw a number of more serious complaints, he said. A front-page article in a fall 2004 issue of the Justice with the headline "Watch City cracks down on partying" reported that student residents had seen an increase in preemptive police warnings of arrests for breaking up parties. Police said these warnings were nothing new, and most off-campus residents report receiving them at the beginning of every year.

Nevertheless, the belief that administrators and the Waltham Police are in cozy with each other-passing each other warnings of where parties might materialize-is a widespread and pervasive one.

"You know the administration is in touch with the cops off-campus," said Eugene Vortsman '08, whose fraternity gathers on Dartmouth Street. "They hear about a party and the cops break it up."

Sawyer is quick to dispute such allegations.

"I've heard that, and I'll once again try to dispel that fairly adamantly," he responded. "It would mean that we know where students live when we don't. Adamantly, as emphatically as I can tell you, there is no communication between the University and Waltham Police" outside of the reports the police send Callahan.

Waltham Police Sergeant Antonio Mele, who handles most Brandeis-related incidents, confirmed that the relationship is one-way, and emphasized that a zero-tolerance policy is elucidated to off-campus residents early each year.

Still, there are scattered reports of what students describe as troubling police behavior. One student, who was granted anonymity because he feared retaliation, alleged that he was harassed by police officers when they came by his house during the early-year sweep. The student said that when he refused to give his housemate's information to the officers, things turned sour.

"They weren't very happy about that," he said. "[The police officer] said, 'you know, we're not going to show you any leniency. We might even go out of our way.' I said wait a minute, I'm going to be on your-these are my words-shitlist. And he said, 'yeah,'" The Waltham Police did not comment on the incident.

Although there is often tension between students and the police, Mele said he is not out to break up every Brandeis get-together. Mele quoted a Justice editorial titled "You Have to Fight for Your Right to Party":

"Students have every right to have guests over and consume alcoholic beverages in their own home'" he said, reading from the Justice staff editorial. "That's fine, but a lot of times you know as well as I do that there's a lot of minors there."

"We're not there to say 'no one can have a good time, no one can have a party,'" he added. "But the problem lies when people don't realize that they're disturbing their next-door neighbors."

While parties that draw noise complaints mostly seem to end in simple and peaceful dispersals, they can sometimes result in mild legal consequences, as was the case for the residents who saw their welcome-back party spin out of control.

The residents, who were granted anonymity because they feared legal repercussions, never actually went to court, but reported without a lawyer to a county clerk.

"They said we had cooperated, and that we were not a threat to society," one resident said.

The residents are on probation until May. They haven't had a party since, but they didn't seem to feel unfairly treated by police, registering only minor complaints about their conduct.

Other students are more critical of the police.

"Running parties is a hard thing to do," Vortsman said. He described a time when five police cars came to break up a party he and his friends were hosting. "It was like a military breakdown," he said. "Why? Because there were some people out front. ... But it's college, it's going to happen."

Vortsman claimed the officers went through all of the rooms in the house and asked him "if he knew what pot smells like."

Mele said the only reason police ever search houses is to make sure there is no one drunk or passed out in a potentially dangerous situation, and that they are not looking for illegal materials or alcohol. He said the police do not make arrests based on these searches.



The Neighbors and Staying out of Trouble

When it comes to keeping the cops away from a party, it seems that appeasing neighbors is key. And keeping people inside the house-and off the streets-is essential to that end.

"Parties are generally only broken up when there are a lot of people outside," said Noah Seifman '08, a member of an off-campus fraternity who has helped run parties in the past. "That means we're either extraordinarily packed and we're not letting people in, or we have people who are just not listening to us."

Michael Still '08, another member of that fraternity, added that "good management means getting people to walk down away from us-even if they're hanging out outside, they're not doing it around us," Seifman said.

But keeping neighbors from calling in a noise complaint also weighs on residents' minds.

"We talk to our neighbors before parties," said David Gorman '07, who lives on South Street and has hosted several large parties. Gorman said he and his housemates tell their neighbors when they're having a party, and ask to be informed if it gets too noisy.

For their part, neighbors are at least somewhat annoyed by-but also partially resigned to-the reality that parties happen. Most recalled parties with 200 to 300 people wandering the streets. Some told stories of particularly acrimonious relationships between residents and students, but most Waltham residents said these have faded over time. In the end, residents say, they have to strike a sometimes uncomfortable balance between expecting weekly bashes next door, and dealing with an increased police presence as a result.

"We've been having problems in this area for a long long time," said Jack Ruffin, a Dartmouth Street resident who has lived in the area for about eight years.

"Sometimes people walk around naked, and they're drunk and everything else. ... For myself though, I don't like the idea of calling the police- because you know, then they have your number and they think you are always calling," Ruffin said.

Robin Annis, a life-long resident of Waltham, expressed some amusement at collegiate na'veté. One year, she said, students got together and brought around a petition asking their neighbors' permission to host a block party.

"I don't want a block party with little kids here," Annis said refering to children in the neighborhood. "It's kind of comical that they think that, if they're friendly, drinking and being crazy in front of little kids will be acceptable."

Nevertheless, she sees student residents as a potentially positive influence.

"Two doors down there have been girls that have befriended my daughters," she said. "Sometimes they are very friendly, and can be good role models in some ways."

Students also pointed to the need to assign a designated driver to shuttle students back to campus, and cautioned that if the party gets too big, residents can always ask the off-campus escort van not to drop more partyers at their house.

In the end, good crowd control seems key to having a successful celebration without involving the police. Gorman recalled a night when his party was one of about four happening in the neighborhood, but was the only one broken up by police. An officer drove by the house once that night and just asked for the music to be turned down.

"I'm pretty sure he only stopped and rolled down because he knows our house is responsible. Which is cool," said Gorman.


Posted by: 94c

the kid had been drinking, acted stupid, and got PC'ed.

end of story.


Posted by: ferus fidelitas

it is Mickey Mouse - was it that big a deal on campus that someone deemed it newsworthy.... wow...




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About MassCops, the home for Massachusetts law enforcement.

The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network opened in 1998 and is now a part of the New England Police Network The site is a pro-police discussion forum intended for sworn police officers and civilian law enforcement officials as well as those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement here in Massachusetts.

The goal of The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network is to provide an informal network of law enforcement officials here in Massachusetts for educational and informational purposes.

The forum covers many topics such as Police Related News Articles, Agency & Profession Discussions, Police Training as well as Law Enforcement Career Information.

The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network and The New England Police Network (NEPN) and it's network sites are privately owned websites/domains and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any government association or agency.

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