Neighborhood Quality

By Andrew Carter

This is not a one weekend of the year phenomenon. It's an every weekend of the year problem. We had 3400 noise complaints in 2003. That's an average of 65 noise complaints every week, and the number is rising. Only 7% of those complaints lead to a citation.

We have an enforcement problem. The current SNAP program isn't working. SNAP teams can't write tickets. We need to back SNAP up with increased police enforcement.

The challenge is how to do this with limited police staffing and our inability to add police due to financial constraints.

I've already talked to Chief Linden about the possibility of having surprise enforcement weekends, much like we set up surprise DUI checkpoints. She's receptive to the idea.

But I believe we also need to look at how we allocate our police resources -- weekday vs. weekend service for instance, daytime vs. nighttime shifts, downtown vs. around-town patrols.

I am fully supportive of the need to focus on Mardi Gras first. But I don't want to lose sight of the week-in, week-out rowdiness which takes place in San Luis Obispo.

In fact, I think it's that on-going rowdiness which sets the stage for the absolutely out-of-control behavior we see on Mardi Gras and risk seeing on the other major "drinking" holidays of the year -- Halloween, St. Patrick's Day, etc.