Party foul? Salt Lake City explores new ways to crack down on ‘unruly’ gatherings

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s capital city is exploring a new approach to address “unruly” parties and gatherings, but city leaders say they also want to better define these events before enacting a new law.

The proposed ordinance would essentially double the fine for parties, gatherings or events on private properties that “disturb the public peace, safety and welfare of the community” and “require undue law enforcement response to restore the public peace and safety.” It would also shift liability to property owners, which city officials hope will also curb recurring nuisances.

“The city has a significant interest in avoiding the unnecessary use of law enforcement resources on unruly parties, events and gatherings at the expense of more critical public safety needs,” it states. “Private property owners should bear primary responsibility for ensuring that their property is not used for unruly parties, gatherings or events.”

Handling ‘unruly’ events

The proposal is tied to an uptick of large house parties that have gotten out of hand, especially within private housing rented by university students, said Salt Lake City Police Deputy Chief Bill Manzanares.

“In some of these parties, we’re talking about hundreds of people. We’re talking about underage drinking and alcohol overdoses and things like that,” he told members of the Salt Lake City Council on Tuesday, while briefing them on the proposal, adding that things have “gotten bad.”

Council members aren’t surprised by the situation. Several parties have ended in violence and death over the past decade, which creates problems for others in the neighborhoods where events happen, Salt Lake City Councilwoman Eva Lopez Chavez pointed out.

Under the proposal, each violation would be sent to the property owner, outlining the date of an unruly event. Should the police respond to another incident within the following 365 days, the owner would be subject to an administrative citation and a civil fine of $1,000. Each violation would also restart the 365-day window.

It would replace the current maximum $428 service fee, which is traditionally given to an event host. That’s been tricky to determine when a gathering draws hundreds of people. This change could reduce the number of incidents taking place within rented properties, said Michael Sanders, a policy analyst for Salt Lake City.

“The ordinance is designed to promote accountability and reduce the frequency of these large, disruptive gatherings,” he said. “This approach is expected to discourage such violations on private property and encourage private owners, rather than the city, to encourage tenant behavior that has a negative impact on neighborhoods.”

It would also allow for civilian officers, such as the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Community Response Team, to respond to incidents and document them, freeing up sworn officers to respond to higher-priority calls, Sanders added.

Manzanares said sworn officers may still respond to complaints, but he explained that responding to them can also be “challenging” when there are other issues taking place in the city. Civilian officers responding to such events can help the city address complaints more efficiently.

Defining ‘unruly’

While members of the City Council acknowledged the need, they also expressed concerns about defining what an “unruly” gathering is during the briefing. As written, it could apply to any gathering with three or more people within 600 feet of a residential property where police observe “one or more violations of the law” or that is “disturbing the public peace, health, safety or welfare of the surrounding community.”

The line should be clear that it’s no ordinary backyard barbecue or family function, Manzanares said. Issues could include violations like illegal activity, fighting, littering, public urination/defecation or obstructing public ways with people or vehicles.

“We’ve seen all that, and we see it on a very regular basis now,” he said.

Many types of gatherings that can fit within the scope of three or more people, which could create “overregulating” or encourage residents to report more frequently on events that may not fit the “unruly” criteria, Chavez said.

Her colleagues agreed that a more detailed behavioral description could be beneficial, especially to avoid potential cultural harassment. Salt Lake City Councilwoman Victoria Petro said she has neighbors who like to host large events and have even brought in mariachi bands, but they’ve also been respectful of the city’s quiet hours.

“I just wanted to make sure that we’re not opening the door to unintentionally harming people’s housing capacity, but rather intentionally overcoming these nuisance issues,” Chavez said.

Those types of concerns could be hammered into the final ordinance. A public hearing on the proposal is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 12, which is also when the City Council may decide whether to adopt the measure.

That means it could take effect in time for the University of Utah’s next school year, which begins on Aug. 18.