Party Information

Contact

For questions or concerns please contact the Stevens Point Police Department at (715) 346-1500.

Parties & the Police Department

Here are some suggestions to keep the Stevens Point Police Department from coming to you party:

• Be considerate of your neighbors. Neighbors are often the people who want the police at your party. Not everyone shares the same interest in music or activities. Therefore, keep windows and doors closed to contain party noise and try to keep the noise to a reasonable level. What might constitute a reasonable volume of acceptable noise is determined by conditions such as the type of neighborhood, time of day and day of week. Be considerate of your neighbors.
• Keep the size of your gathering reasonable and controlled. You should be able to monitor and control the behavior of your guests to ensure their safety. It is often the behavior of unruly guests that causes a visit from the police. If people are unruly, you should ask them to leave. We can assist you if guests are disruptive, and most likely will end up having to if you can not control them.
• Know who your guests are. Opening your gathering to the public, or to people you don't know, may allow the presence of some who don't have your best interest in mind.
• If you serve alcohol, be certain that your guests are of the legal drinking age. You are responsible and will be held civilly liable and criminally accountable if a problem occurs.
• Selling alcoholic beverages, cups for beverages, or asking for a donation means that you are operating as a bar. You must be licensed to do so. Fines for violations of this nature are substantial.
• Don't encourage or allow your guests to become intoxicated or to leave your residence with alcoholic beverages. You may be held civilly responsible for any injury they incur or cause, and their presence outside with alcohol is a violation of city ordinance.

Typical violations occurring at house parties include:

• Owner / occupant permitting excessive noise
• Dispensing alcoholic beverages without a license
• Furnish/procure alcoholic beverages for an underage person
• Permitting underage alcohol violation
• Disorderly conduct
• Resisting an officer

Police Procedure

If police do visit your party:

• Be cooperative. People sometimes decide not to open the door, assuming that we'll go away and they can avoid a citation. We may go away, for a short while, but we may be back with a warrant if necessary. Behavior often influences the decision police officers have to make when handling unruly people.
• A resident of the property should speak to the officer. Don't allow your guests to intercede for you.
• If you are given a warning, take it seriously. It would be in your best interest to comply with the officer's request. Failure to do so may result in another visit and progressive enforcement action.
• If you do not own the property in which you reside, you need to know that your landlord will be notified of the complaint and visit by police. Multiple violations at a residence may result in the landlord being cited or the revocation of the landlord's city licensing for the residence. Your landlord may choose to protect his interests in a manner which is undesirable to you.

Summary

• Be reasonable and act responsibly.
• Respect the rights of your neighbors.
• Don't be hostile or unruly.
• Work with the police to resolve conflict.