Cops for tougher code

At their quarterly community meeting last night, University Park Community Club members and local residents expressed frustrations over increasing neighborhood partying to police, saying that student behavior off-campus is out of control.

Gil Kerlikowske, chief of the Seattle Police Department (SPD), SPD officers and a representative from the mayor's office attended the meeting.

"We're not trying to be anti-party, it's just reached a point where [parties] are out of control," said Earl Bell, president of the club, prior to the meeting.

Some residents shared stories of students who vandalized their property, while others complained of frequently witnessing drug deals outside their homes.

SPD Captain Dan Oliver said he would try to get police to patrol a wider area on Halloween night.

According to Oliver, there may be an increased presence tomorrow between Northeast 50th Street and Northeast 55th Street. The idea received applause from community members.

The discussion focused on the new noise ordinance and the aftermath of the Sept. 28 riot, but there was also talk about an off-campus code of conduct.

Under such a code, the University could punish students for breaking the law while not on campus grounds.

The city is pursuing off-campus accountability aggressively, according to Marco Lowe, community relations director for the Office of the Mayor.

Kerlikowske said he strongly supports Mayor Greg Nickel's push for an off-campus conduct code.

Most residents at the meeting expressed support for an off-campus conduct code.

Dara, who declined to give her last name, said she does not like the idea of a conduct code, and said student behavior has reached a point where there is no way around it.

She said her home has been vandalized four times, including a fire extinguisher thrown through her window.

"We have tried to reach out to students, but we have been rebuffed," said Dara. "We tried working with the UW, but we gave up on them."

Several community members also support the new, stricter noise ordinance, while some do not think it is having major effects.

"The noise ordinance is completely a political action," said resident Steve Shellings. "It is not the most effective way to stop the serious crimes."