Orange sticker bicker
Issue date: 11/18/09 Section: Editorial/Opinion
11/18/09 - In 2005, the Town of Narragansett introduced the "Unruly Gathering" ordinance, known to many University of Rhode Island students as the orange sticker policy.
The policy condemns neighborhood disruptions sparked by "excessive noise or traffic, obstruction of public streets by crowds or vehicles, illegal parking, public drunkenness, public urination, the service of alcohol to minors, fights, disturbances of the peace and litter."
If police feel a party is disrupting the "quiet enjoyment" of a neighborhood, to a rather vague extent as outlined in the ordinance, then they slap a big orange sticker on the front door of the offending residence.
Last year, the Student Senate, in conjunction with Rhode Island's American Civil Liberties Union, filed a joint class-action suit against the Town of Narragansett, deeming the ordinance unconstitutional.
Undoubtedly, most of the complaints to Narragansett Police involve rowdy college parties fueled by alcohol and its consumers. Sanctions applied to over-the-top partiers might be legitimate, but marking their door with this sort of "scarlet letter," is not.
It's quite alright to argue that drunken college students cause neighborhood disruptions, and most Narragansett students will likely admit that perhaps their yelling keeps neighbors awake, maybe they leave beer cans strewn about front yards and at times their music can get too loud. So, while the right to bust parties and preserve neighborhood peace might be up for debate, the real issue lies in the constitutionality of the ordinance and whether the policy singles out college students.
While Narragansett argues that the policy does not target students, it's hard to believe otherwise when this sort of "scarlet letter" is plastered on their front doors. Cops know the sticker is there, and because of this, they are likely to patrol the street more vigilantly. It's as if the town is waiting for an opportunity to turn sorry students into repeat offenders.
For at least the past 50 years, URI students have been saying "sayonara" to the dorms and moving Down the Line. Some leave in hopes of escaping URI's strict alcohol policy, while others just want their independence.
Students, whether year-round residents like it or not, become members of the Narragansett community, and many of them are productive members of that community; working in local shops and being generally respectful neighbors. In addition, the money that students pump into the local economy is an asset to a town that thrives on the profits of a seasonal tourist location. Singling college students out, or hoping the policy will deter them from moving off campus, won't help anyone.
The policy condemns neighborhood disruptions sparked by "excessive noise or traffic, obstruction of public streets by crowds or vehicles, illegal parking, public drunkenness, public urination, the service of alcohol to minors, fights, disturbances of the peace and litter."
If police feel a party is disrupting the "quiet enjoyment" of a neighborhood, to a rather vague extent as outlined in the ordinance, then they slap a big orange sticker on the front door of the offending residence.
Last year, the Student Senate, in conjunction with Rhode Island's American Civil Liberties Union, filed a joint class-action suit against the Town of Narragansett, deeming the ordinance unconstitutional.
Undoubtedly, most of the complaints to Narragansett Police involve rowdy college parties fueled by alcohol and its consumers. Sanctions applied to over-the-top partiers might be legitimate, but marking their door with this sort of "scarlet letter," is not.
It's quite alright to argue that drunken college students cause neighborhood disruptions, and most Narragansett students will likely admit that perhaps their yelling keeps neighbors awake, maybe they leave beer cans strewn about front yards and at times their music can get too loud. So, while the right to bust parties and preserve neighborhood peace might be up for debate, the real issue lies in the constitutionality of the ordinance and whether the policy singles out college students.
While Narragansett argues that the policy does not target students, it's hard to believe otherwise when this sort of "scarlet letter" is plastered on their front doors. Cops know the sticker is there, and because of this, they are likely to patrol the street more vigilantly. It's as if the town is waiting for an opportunity to turn sorry students into repeat offenders.
For at least the past 50 years, URI students have been saying "sayonara" to the dorms and moving Down the Line. Some leave in hopes of escaping URI's strict alcohol policy, while others just want their independence.
Students, whether year-round residents like it or not, become members of the Narragansett community, and many of them are productive members of that community; working in local shops and being generally respectful neighbors. In addition, the money that students pump into the local economy is an asset to a town that thrives on the profits of a seasonal tourist location. Singling college students out, or hoping the policy will deter them from moving off campus, won't help anyone.
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