STATEMENT
Saturday Night Disturbance
University of Colorado at Boulder
A Saturday night block party featuring live music which was held six blocks from the campus of the University of Colorado at Boulder grew out of control and turned after midnight into a serious disturbance involving bonfires. City of Boulder police responded. After nearby residents were warned, the police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
The three houses in the Lincoln Place neighborhood that went together on what they called a "block party" did not obtain a permit from the City of Boulder for an official block party and Boulder police were not informed in advance. It is our understanding that live music was present for the party and that a city of Boulder permit allegedly had been obtained for the band. The presence of the live music may have been a factor in attracting large crowds of young people to the area.
We were told today that there were about 300 to 500 people involved. The one arrest made was not a CU student. We presume, however, that a number of CU students were on the scene.
The University of Colorado at Boulder abhors the events of the past weekend in the University Hill neighborhood. The actions of a small group of people have reflected badly on this excellent institution and its exemplary faculty, students, staff and programs. Any member of the public who has videotape or photographs from the incident is asked to make them available to Boulder police or campus police.
Many people in the CU-Boulder administration and student body have worked hard in the past three years to prevent such occurrences. Apparently, we will all need to redouble our efforts. To the CU and larger community, we express our sincere regret for the unfortunate incident of last weekend and on behalf of the majority of CU students, faculty and staff, we pledge to continue to pursue our commitment to making these public disturbances a thing of the past.
CU has used its judicial processes in the past in response to inappropriate student behavior involving public safety. In 1999, four students were suspended and two expelled for riot behavior. In l997, five students were suspended and three expelled.
A new policy for dealing with the small number of students who have repeated alcohol or drug offenses was being prepared for announcement this week. That new effort (Three Strikes and YouÂ’re Out) will enforce stiffer sanctions against students who are repeat offenders of state alcohol and drug laws and CU rules. That program includes suspension for students involved in three alcohol or drug infractions and could mean suspension on the first or second infraction depending on the seriousness of the case. SEE ATTACHED NEWS RELEASE ANNOUNCING THE "THREE STRIKES" POLICY.
CU-Boulder also has a student code of conduct based on promoting a safe and healthy campus environment. Students are expected to conduct themselves according to accepted standards of social behavior, and to abide by university regulations, as well as the laws of the city, state and nation.
The consequences of disorderly conduct can be severe. A student can be suspended or expelled from the university for violating any one of the following university standards:
Standard 2: Interfering with, obstructing or disrupting police or fire responses.
Standard 5: Violating any federal, state or local laws.
Standard 13: Assaulting or threatening the health or safety of another person.
In crowd situations, failure to disperse once dispersal is demanded by the police can result in criminal charges. Videotapes of crowd behavior are being used more often to identify people who injure others or damage property.
Several state laws can be used to bring charges against a student participating in a disturbance, including inciting or engaging in a riot, disorderly conduct, and damaging personal property. If convicted of a felony, a student could get a criminal record, which will have to be reported on graduate school and job applications. Cost for damages, fines and legal fees can also put a dent in a student's bank account.
CU and the City of Boulder have been and will continue to be engaged in several partnership activities to improve the sense of community between students and city residents. Examples of these include:
-- A shared, full-time position for a University Representative and Program Coordinator, City of Boulder in partnership with University of Colorado at Boulder, Student Affairs Division, which also employs several CU students as Community Liaison Assistants
-- Community Speakouts and dinners in surrounding neighborhoods, including the Hill, to build bridges among the university and its neighbors and walkarounds each semester on University Hill with city and university students and administrators
-- Lighting improvements on University Hill
-- Meetings with neighborhood associations, civic organizations and high schools organized by the "A Matter of Degree" program, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Alcohol Education Grant