Kingston police, bylaw issue over $45K in fines at ‘nuisance’ parties Saturday

Revelers take part in St. Patrick's Day celebrations on Aberdeen Street near Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., on Thursday, March 17, 2016. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg)

Kingston police have been busy issuing thousands of dollars in fines to problem parties in the city’s university district on Saturday as enforcement steps up during the St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

Police issued a “nuisance party” declaration on Johnson Street at approximately 11:55 a.m. Under the declaration, attendees are ordered to disperse from the area or are subject to fines. The order was lifted a short time later.

Officers issued a total of four fines, each carrying a $2,000 penalty.

At around 12:05 p.m., police declared another nuisance party on Earl Street where a total of three $2,000 fines were issued. The order has since been lifted.

A third party on Aberdeen Street was broken up later in the afternoon but no fines were reported.

Kingston bylaw officers also handed out a total of $34,000 in fines for various infractions, the city reported on Sunday.

“Those were, a range of violations between amplification of sound violations, failure to leave the premises after a nuisance declaration was called on the street, and hosting a nuisance party at a residential premises,” said Kyle Compeau with the City of Kingston.

“The priority was safety and, for the majority, if not all of the day, we were dealing with respectful crowds, although there were celebrations happening.”

The City of Kingston has imposed its “University District Safety Initiative” from Friday to Tuesday to crack down on large parties. Police will be enforcing the initiative city-wide during that time.

Police and bylaw officers can issue fines for nuisance party infractions, ranging from $100 for noise bylaw offences like yelling, screaming and shouting to $500 for failing to leave a premises and $2,000 for hosting a “nuisance party.”

The city has been reminding students and residents to celebrate responsibly.

Kingston police say it will provide a recap of the total number of fines issued when the initiative concludes.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Jack Richardson