While Spring Weekend often brings noise omplaints, the Farmville Police Department and he Town Manager’s office reported that this year was relatively calm in terms of behavior. While discussing students’ conduct over Spring Weekend, Doug Mooney, chief of the Farmville Police Department, said, “This has been a very good year, about the best since I’ve been with the Farmville Police Department in about almost three and a half years. We’ve had the parties. The out of ontrol parties have been very much under control his year, and I appreciate it.” Mooney added, “We cut students a little bit of lack, but we also answer to people — residents in he town — who want to actually get some sleep. So, we walk that tight-rope, I guess.” There were no reported arrests of Longwood students to the Farmville Police Department over he course of Spring Weekend, save for one driving under the influence arrest, according to Mooney. “We did give quite a few warnings, and we had some behavior that was kind of ... it was disappointing, and I think a lot of the students would have said he same thing. So, it’s just a small percentage of ones that we probably had some issues with,” said
Mooney. For parties that drew the attention of the Farmville police department, Mooney stated that there were very few fights, and by the end of the night there were no charges pressed.
He added that compliance was common among the student community.
In terms of noise issues, Mooney said, “We had calls to some houses, and once we got there — you can hear the party from a block away — the people shut down the parties, and that was the only call we got.”
“I have to say the large majority of them did a good job,” said Mooney.
In terms of any issues between Spring Weekend and Farmville’s noise ordinance, Gerald Spates, town manager, said, “We got a lot of complaints from the residents in the neighborhoods about the noise.”
Regarding student conduct, however, Spates said, “There wasn’t really a problem with the student body other than the bands playing. We didn’t know about the event last weekend.”
Spates stated that the noise ordinance for the town of Farmville is from 9 p.m. until 7 a.m. for any musical device within 200 yards of any building of another occupied or living quarters.
This noise ordinance is only for anything outside of a dwelling.
For parties in one’s home, Spates said, “You can go to a later time as long as it doesn’t disturb the neighbors.”
Spates added that during the weekends, he allows the noise ordinance to not begin until 11 p.m.
The consequence for repeated offenses to the noise ordinance is a misdemeanor.
“The thing is, Longwood is right in the middle of town, so we got residents that we have to make sure that they can enjoy their own peace and quiet on their own property. So, that’s why we restrict the hours,” Spates said.
Susan Sullivan, director of the Office of Student Union and Involvement, stated that bands have to end by 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday in accordance to the town of Farmville’s noise ordinance.
Sullivan said, “There are people that live in the town. There are families. So, we need to be respectful of our community and our surrounding area.”
While stating that she has not received any complaints from Spring Weekend by the residents of Farmville, Sullivan said, “I’d have to say it was a very, very successful Spring Weekend. We had no incidences on campus either Friday or Saturday evening. We were happy with the attendance. It was very well run. It was very well-organized both by WMLU on Friday and Lancer Productions on Saturday. So, I think those that were involved were happy with the success of it.”
Mooney said, “I know we still have another few weeks left, and I hope it stays quiet.”
“I want to just pass my thanks to the students for helping get things under control and what it’s resulted in is sexual assaults have dropped drastically. The arrests for drunk in public, for underaged possession, I mean they were almost nonexistent this year and our calls from other residents in the area were a whole lot lower,” Mooney said.
He added, ”The work that they’ve done to be more responsible with the way they party and with the way they respond to our officers, that’s been noticed by me, and it’s very much appreciated.”
