2008 Woodie Awards
Police crash house party
More than 150 partiers detained
By Rachel Seeman
Rocket News Editor
Issue date: 2/24/06 Section: News
On Feb. 11, 91 people were cited for disorderly house, an ordinance offense, after the Slippery Rock Borough Police received a phone call at 11:45 p.m. pertaining to a noise disturbance on South Main Street.
Four Slippery Rock Borough officers, four University Police officers and two Pennsylvania State Police officers responded to the call.
Capt. Terry Brown, of the Slippery Rock Borough Police, said there were many people on the first floor, second floor and in the basement.
The officers spoke to the tenants and explained why they were there when they arrived at the house.
All 21-year-olds in attendance were asked to provide identification. Those who had ID were released.
Slippery Rock University students were verified with University Police via radio. Non-SRU students were verified by the state police.
All persons under 21 years of age were asked if they had been drinking.
Brown said breath tests were administered to about 20 people who said they had not been drinking.
Brown said these types of calls interrupt what the Borough Police are paid to do, and hold up the process of other important calls.
He suggested that someone should be responsible to check people's IDs at the door when they arrive at a party. He said if they are not 21, they should be turned away, and that tenants are responsible for what goes on in the confines of their home.
Brown said if anyone can walk 100 yards in either direction of the party and can hear the noise, it's too loud.
An anonymous person who attended the party on South Main Street said someone did check outside to see if the party was too loud.
People at the party were confused that there were calls to the police about there being too much noise because they thought it was under control, the source said.
The source said people started arriving to the party at 10:30 p.m. and many of the individuals were known to the tenants.
"Nobody was ridiculously drunk," the source said. "Nobody was out of control (when the police arrived)."
Four Slippery Rock Borough officers, four University Police officers and two Pennsylvania State Police officers responded to the call.
Capt. Terry Brown, of the Slippery Rock Borough Police, said there were many people on the first floor, second floor and in the basement.
The officers spoke to the tenants and explained why they were there when they arrived at the house.
All 21-year-olds in attendance were asked to provide identification. Those who had ID were released.
Slippery Rock University students were verified with University Police via radio. Non-SRU students were verified by the state police.
All persons under 21 years of age were asked if they had been drinking.
Brown said breath tests were administered to about 20 people who said they had not been drinking.
Brown said these types of calls interrupt what the Borough Police are paid to do, and hold up the process of other important calls.
He suggested that someone should be responsible to check people's IDs at the door when they arrive at a party. He said if they are not 21, they should be turned away, and that tenants are responsible for what goes on in the confines of their home.
Brown said if anyone can walk 100 yards in either direction of the party and can hear the noise, it's too loud.
An anonymous person who attended the party on South Main Street said someone did check outside to see if the party was too loud.
People at the party were confused that there were calls to the police about there being too much noise because they thought it was under control, the source said.
The source said people started arriving to the party at 10:30 p.m. and many of the individuals were known to the tenants.
"Nobody was ridiculously drunk," the source said. "Nobody was out of control (when the police arrived)."
