SAN DIEGO — With packed college parties blaring in their backyards, San Diego State University neighbors are getting loud too.
“You turn the party off at one house and they pop up at another,” one neighbor said.
After weeks of complaints about off-campus parties, San Diego police invited neighbors on a virtual call on Tuesday.
“We’re definitely there to address the issues,” an officer said.
Police assured the public that they respond to noise complaints but violent crime remains the priority.
“It just doesn't rank up there next to gun violence, assault,” he said.
Only, with hundreds of COVID cases reported at SDSU since August, neighbors say more needs to be done to stop large gatherings before they happen.
“Kids are going unchecked with no consequences and all they’re doing is sending them home after a super spreader event,” one neighbor said.
Colleges across the country have battled with what to do over off-campus parties.
Just last month in Wisconsin, students got so out of hand university police ramped up patrols breaking them up on and off-campus.
Jean Hoeger said neighbors are being left to deal with the parties themselves.
“They’re leaving us hanging. [We] call in a party with 300 kids and nobody comes. We can't go out and talk to them,” said Hoeger.
SDSU has contracted with a security company to help. If first on the scene, security calls SDPD to report the party, but university police can only assist.
“Those two police chiefs need to get together and let SDSU respond to a party without an SDPD officer already being on scene,” said Hoeger.
For now, university police officers hand-deliver "community notices" officials say, intended to inform about public health practices.
“SDSU police is right in the College Area [near] party houses. Can we not push for some sort of policy change?” another caller said.