Nuisance Party Ordinance and Homecoming

Southeast Missouri State University students managed to celebrate this year's homecoming weekend without violating the city's new nuisance party ordinance.

According to Cape Girardeau police spokesperson Darin Hickey, not a single nuisance party ticket was issued during homecoming weekend.

The ordinance, which was passed over summer break, targets gatherings of ten or more people on residential property. Tickets can be issued for a number of behaviors ranging from property damage and littering to indecent exposure and unlawful use of alcohol and other controlled substances.

This year's homecoming was the first to be celebrated with the ordinance in place, and both students and city officials were waiting to see what affect, if any, the ordinance would have on the spirit of the weekend.

Although police failed to issue any tickets, Hickey said this year's homecoming wasn't necessarily quieter than usual as a result of the new ordinance.

"We just didn't get as many complaints this year," Hickey said. "To me there's a difference between being quieter and actually getting complaints."

Hickey said police don't actively look for nuisance party violations and only issue tickets when they receive complaints from residents.

"We're not out, driving around looking for them," Hickey said. "We understand that people are going to get together and have parties, but if they're keeping them quiet and following the law, then we're not out there trying to go above and beyond to issue tickets."

Although no tickets were issued, Hickey said the police department added extra patrols in preparation for homecoming.

"We do pay attention to what's going on in the city and if we know there is going to be a big event we will have extra officers on the streets patrolling the city," Hickey said. "We were prepared, but we're going to deal with crime as it happens, no matter what the weekend. Whether it's homecoming or whether there's nothing going on at all."