Students, administrators clash over noise ordinances

The University's fines for noise violations -- which are as much as four times the amount charged by surrounding towns -- have attracted criticism from some students, who say the university should be more forthcoming about the policy.

While non-student residents in Somerville receive a warning for their first noise violation, the second occurrence attracts a $50 fine, and a third instance results in a $100 fine, Tufts students living off campus are subject to a $200 university fine for each noise violation and do not receive any warnings.

Medford also warns residents and only fines them after a second violation.

"We don't go by the ordinance," Judicial Affairs Officer Veronica Carter said.

The noise violation policy is outlined in the Pachyderm, the University's student handbook, but it is not expressly explained to students when they choose to live off campus.

"We think the school has a responsibility to inform students of this policy," said senior Adam Mueller, whose Somerville house was fined for a noise violation at a recent party. "When we signed housing contracts as freshmen and sophomores, it's all clearly spelled out."

The cities have given authority over noise issues at off-campus student houses to the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) -- which gives students the benefit of TUPD's discretion, but subjects them to different penalties from other residents. If an officer decides to write a report, it is sent to Carter, who gives residents the option of paying the fine or completing 40 hours of community service.

"Most people pay the fine," Carter said.

Junior Josh Harris, whose house in Medford was fined early in the semester, said he had never heard of the policy until he met with Carter. "Nobody ever talked about it all."

Mueller and his housemates are appealing the fine; Harris split the fine among the ten residents of his house.

Although the fines may be intended to deter violations, Director of Community Relations Barbara Rubel said that the number of noise complaints has not decreased since the fine was raised. "It's certainly not better than past years," she said.

The fine for noise violations was raised from $100 to $200 per incident at the beginning of last year. In the 2000-2001 academic year, students received one warning before they were fined $100 for a noise violation.

Both Carter and Rubel suggested that the number of complaints is typically highest when the weather is warm and student parties spill onto porches. Now that temperatures have cooled off, they said, the noise violations have decreased.

"Over the past few weeks it hasn't been so bad," Carter said.

But while the number of police reports has decreased, the number of verbal complaints has not. Rubel said she has been "pretty busy in terms of getting calls from neighbors."

"The neighbors have become more eager to pursue problems," she said.

Somerville Ward 7 Alderman Bob Trane said he has received numerous complaints recently.

"It's escalated, if anything, since the beginning of the school year," he said.

To help address the conflicts between the students and local residents, Carter organized a meeting in September between students and neighbors from one neighborhood, University administrators, and Trane. She also occasionally sends TUPD officers to specific areas to meet with student and non-student residents.

"If you asked any of the neighbors," Rubel said, "they would say that the discussions are very successful." Rubel said neighbors are increasingly willing to meet with students to work out differences and ways to solve problems without resorting to calling the police. "Really all they want is for the problem to go away," she said.

Trane said he would be willing to participate in more discussions organized between students and neighbors.

Students have expressed mixed opinions on the $200 fine. Mueller said his house has not hosted a party since the meeting with Carter. "We're not going to be one of those perpetual violators," he said.

But Harris thinks the warning on the first infraction should be reinstated. "We're all 21 -- in real life, if the cops show up, they just tell you to keep the noise down," he said.

He also said that more conferences with neighbors would help decrease the number of complaints more than a large fine. "If it was agreed upon that they would call us so we could keep the noise, down that would be good," Harris said.

Carter said she does not expect the policy to change next year.