BIG RAPIDS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

GUIDELINES FOR SAFE AND LEGAL SOCIAL EVENTS

HOSTING A PARTY? FOLLOW THE RULES AND AVOID THE HASSLES

The City of Big Rapids and the State of Michigan have several ordinances and laws that apply to parties. By being aware of these rules and following them, you can insure that while having a good time, you stay out of trouble.

The most important law to be aware of is the State Law governing alcohol sales. This law makes it a FELONY to sell alcohol without a license.

The law considers any exchange of money to be selling, so any of the following arrangements are illegal:

• Charging a cover charge at the door and allowing those entering to drink alcohol provided at the party.
• Charging a cover charge at the door and allowing those entering to drink alcohol they bring with them.
• Selling advance tickets and doing the same things listed above.
• Taking "donations" for the alcohol from those who come to your party.

The only legal way you can have alcohol at your party is to provide it to your guests at no charge or let them bring their own and not charge them for attending. You should also be aware that if you provide alcohol to your guests you may be liable if they become intoxicated and are later injured or involved in an accident. It is a misdemeanor to provide alcohol to persons under the age of 21 or to allow them to drink alcohol on your premises.

The City has three ordinances that are primarily aimed at house parties:

1. It is a civil infraction to disturb the peace and quiet of the neighborhood. This usually involves the stereo being too loud. The rule of thumb to follow here is if the stereo can be heard from the sidewalk, it is too loud.
2. The Nuisance Party Ordinance makes it a misdemeanor to host a party that involves any one of several things, including public drinking, public urination, littering, obstructing traffic, conduct causing injury, endangering the safety of the neighborhood, indecent conduct, or disturbing the neighborhood peace and quiet.
3. The Nuisance Padlock Ordinance gives the City the authority to padlock a house that has three or more nuiscance parties in a nine-month period. The ordinance does not require tickets to be issued each time to create a violation of the ordinance. Violating this ordinance could result in you being evicted and still being held responsible for the remaining rent.

The best way to stay out of this situation is to keep the number of people attending your party manageable and if you see any of your guests behaving inappropriately let them know. If necessary, ask them to leave.

Should the police be called to your party, you can make the situation a lot easier for everyone if you follow these guidelines:

• Keep in mind that the officer is usually there to answer the concerns of a neighbor who has complained that the party is disturbing the peace or is violating some law or ordinance.
• If you are the host of the party, immediately identify yourself to the officer and tell the officer it is your party. Don't play games. It will only force the officer to take enforcement action.
• Refusing to come to the door when an officer knocks will not prevent the issuance of a ticket. It will only complicate the process and likely make things worse.
• Be cooperative in trying to correct whatever the problem is.

Becoming a "curb side lawyer" helps no one. Remember, the officer is only trying to handle the complaint and the easier that is done, the better it will be for you and your party. Remember, it is your party and you are responsible. You will likely get ticketed or be arrested, if enforcement action is taken, so it is to your advantage to keep the party under control right from the start and avoid having the police show up at all.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT THE BIG RAPIDS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AT (231)527-0005 OR BY E-MAIL AT: police@ci.big-rapids.mi.us