Nuisance ordinance enforced in extended campus
The policy accommodates Columbia residents bothered by noisy gatherings.
Published Jan. 22, 2010
Six MU students were arrested on suspicion of nuisance partying in December at Mizzou Quads, part of MU's extended campus.
City ordinances and statutes, including the nuisance party ordinance, apply to all MU students, regardless of where they live, but police enforcement of nuisance ordinances is required more often with extended and off-campus living.
Residential Life Director Frankie Minor said the difference in living circumstances might heighten the chance of police intervention off campus.
"Because there's greater privacy and slightly less staffing, the police coming may be much more likely at extended campus locations," Minor said.
Sixth Ward Councilwoman Barbara Hoppe said nuisance situations have to be handled one way or another, whether by staff members or law enforcement.
"I don't really see it as inequitable," Hoppe said. "You're probably going to receive intervention either way."
Within the past decade, before MU had extended campus, Minor said a city nuisance ordinance was implemented to accommodate Columbia residents who were bothered by noisy gatherings.
"The ordinance grew out of concerns from neighborhood associations," Minor said. "It was an initiative that grew out of efforts to create a better living environment for everyone. It wasn't just full-time homeowners. There were other students who didn't like waking up to trash and parties every night."
In August 2008, Residential Life began leasing sections of two public apartment complexes to MU students, Tiger Diggs from Campus View and Mizzou Quads from Campus Lodge. Minor said MU has authority over Mizzou Quads and Tiger Diggs.
"They're all the same physical property, but Residential Life has additional responsibility for the part we're leasing from those apartment complexes," Minor said.
Residents of extended campus are accountable to MU and city jurisdiction, and are required to abide by many of the same rules of on-campus living.
Minor said extended campus residents have leniency in some aspects, such as decorations and appliances, but alcohol and many other guidelines remain the same.
"We have to remind students that the same policies apply at Mizzou Quads and Tiger Diggs," Minor said. "There's the perception of some students, 'We're physically off campus and therefore the same rules don't apply.' "
MU Police Department Capt. Brian Weimer said legal situations that occur off campus are dealt with in the same way as on-campus living.
"They're handled exactly the same way because they function the same," Weimer said.
When MU started leasing sections of the apartment buildings, MUPD and the Columbia Police Department discussed who would be the first responders, Minor said. Although Campus View and Campus Lodge aren't on MU property, MUPD responds to all situations involving students and non-students that occur there.
Because MUPD is the primary responder to nuisance parties and other illegal activity occurring at Campus View and Campus Lodge, the action taken is recorded in MU's crime statistics and log, but not all incidences involve MU students.
Weimer said nuisance parties and noise ordinance violations don't occur on campus often, and early intervention by staff members might be one reason things don't get out of control.
Residential Life staff members are able to keep many situations under control, both on and off campus, and nuisance parties rarely require police intervention, Minor said.
"To my knowledge, we've only had one, maybe two, incidents in the properties we're leasing where the nuisance ordinance has come into play," Minor said. "I can't recall ever a nuisance party situation being applicable to residence halls. While we may involve the police department, almost every time our own staff are also there responding to and mediating the situation."
Making sure all residents are treated equally and fairly can be difficult, but it's something MU and Columbia strive to do, Hoppe said.