There were many discussions during September’s Glassboro Council meeting, but none as pressing as the uptick in crime related to parties in the Glassboro area.

On Tuesday, Sept. 23, the Glassboro Council met for its second meeting of the month and laid out its plan of action against rowdy parties. Their idea: introducing an ordinance pertaining to any party of over 100 people to require a permit. This will effectively give the local law enforcement power to shut down any unofficial events instantaneously.

“We will be taking a proactive and aggressive approach to cracking down on parties,” said Ryan Knight, Glassboro’s chief of police.

According to Knight, at least two law enforcement officers were assaulted while on duty performing what Edward Malantro, the Borough administrator, calls “Party Patrols” since the beginning of the school year. 

“We are utilizing every tool at our disposal,” said Malantro.

According to statistics provided by Malantro, 212 calls have been made to the fire department so far this year, with 49.7% of them being attributed to Rowan students. Rowan Boulevard has also already been shut down five times since the start of the school year. 

Additionally, since the beginning of the semester, 148 calls were made to the police this month pertaining to various aspects of partying. There have been 50 noise complaints, 35 fights/disturbances, 17 riot or immoral conduct summons, 17 maintaining a nuisance summons, 15 urinating in public summons, four littering summons, two charges of aggravated assault on a police officer, three obstruction of justice arrests, two disorderly conduct charges, and three charges related to a fourth-degree public brawl. 

“More police bodies on Rowan Boulevard, stricter enforcement of law, and harsher punishments for those involved in criminal activities,” said Knight.

Knight made it clear that the Glassboro Police Department was tired of having issues with the partying scene in Glassboro, and the residents in attendance applauded in agreement following his statement.

“We might get sued, but we are willing to spend the money to stop the parties,” said John E. Wallace, the mayor of Glassboro. He did not elaborate further. 

Another ordinance the council will be introducing in the future alludes to parental responsibility for unaccompanied minors’ criminality. It will be utilized to target unlawful, unruly, and destructive behavior within the community by individuals under the age of 18 by holding the parental guardian legally liable for their child’s potential crimes. This will be added as a new chapter in the Code Book of the Borough of Glassboro, titled “Minors and Parent Responsibility”, and it will be discussed further in future meetings.

The next Glassboro council meeting will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

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