There’s still plenty of dialogue to be had in Benton Harbor before an ordinance prohibiting nuisance parties is approved.
At a meeting of the city Public Safety and Public Works Committee Wednesday, commissioners and residents discussed at length the implications of giving the police the authority to shut down gatherings that are causing problems. Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety Director Dan McGinnis described some of the late night roaming parties that police have had trouble breaking up, saying many lead to violence. However, questions remained about what kind of parties McGinnis was talking about.
Committee Chair Ron Singleton sought clarity.
“So basically, if somebody’s having a graduation party or whatever in their backyard, that’s not what this ordinance is for,” Singleton said.
“No, not at all. Not at all,” McGinnis said.
McGinnis said they’re looking at the large gatherings, often with people from out of town, that get advertised online and attract hundreds of people.
However, with so much pushback from the community, McGinnis suggested the issue be sent to the Legislative Committee for further discussion. McGinnis also asked for changes to the department’s original proposal. For one, he asked that those cited at nuisance parties not face a misdemeanor charge.
“Two years ago, three years ago, we decriminalized a lot of things that were misdemeanors that should not have been. This goes against the spirit of that. If we were to have a penalty, I would submit that we consider it to be civil infraction.”
McGinnis said language in the proposed ordinance that’s confusing to some should be changed. He said a lot of people don’t understand what police mean by “nuisance party.” He also suggested just requiring all stores in the city to shut down by 2 a.m.
The Public Safety and Public Works Committee agreed to send the matter back to the Legislative Committee next month for more discussion.
