Champaign have added restrictions during Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day to restrict alcohol purchase, keep underage drinkers away and minimize over-consumption.
Skip Frost, the deputy chief of the U. of I. Police Department, said the law already holds the hosts of such parties criminally liable for the actions of underage drinking partygoers.
With the changes, now the host doesn’t even have to be present to be liable.
“If somebody underage leaves your event and you were responsible in any way for supplying them alcohol, and they cause injury to themselves or someone else, you are criminally liable,” he said.
Charges can range from a misdemeanor to a Class 4 felony, which can carry a $25,000 fine and three years in jail.
Frost said the change gives police another tool to control off-campus parties, but that the department and the university are more interested in keeping students safe than in arresting them.
He said the department grants “medical amnesty” for those who call to report an injury at a party and will respond to of-age hosts who want uninvited guests to be removed.
“We’re not the enemy and we don’t want them ever to hesitate to call us if someone is in danger or has been hurt, or if things are getting out of control,” he said.
“If you host a party that becomes unruly and you are unsuccessful in asking guests to leave or to stop their illegal behaviors, you can call the police for help,” said a notice sent to students Jan. 15. “Police and courts may favorably consider social hosts who make a good-faith effort to break up unruly gatherings.”
School officials have communicated the changes to students, along with other information they hope will keep them out of trouble during the event.
Recommendations for anyone hosting a party include checking ages of those attending, refusing entrance to uninvited guests and not advertising parties on unrestricted social media outlets.
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