Boston cops crack down on after-hours parties [you need permits to party now!]

Boston Herald ^ | 7/6/2013 | O'Ryan Johnson

[varyouga]

Boston cops crack down on after-hours parties

Saturday, July 6, 2013PrintEmail Comments (9)

By:

O’Ryan Johnson

Boston police are using social media, as well as old-fashioned walking beats, to find huge after-hours parties before they happen in an effort to tamp down summer violence.

“It’s about trying to be proactive,” said Bureau of Field Services Superintendent William Evans. “If we find out about a party, we’re going to visit that house ahead of time.

If they have a DJ, they need an entertainment license. If they’re going to serve alcohol, they need a liquor license.”Evans said police are spotting upcoming parties online, as well as on fliers posted

[varyouga]

I suppose.

I host parties for 50-100 people at least once a month and don’t charge admission. Been doing it for years with no issues or complaints but I do invite a respectful crowd.

If nanny Mike Bloomers starts charging me for permits, I’m moving out of this city and taking my money with me.

[cripplecreek]

I grew up in a small rural community. We partied in barns and fields most of the time.

[bert]

being good engineering students with a bent for business, we established Oasis Inc and provided it with a soft drink machine modified to accept Bud Longnecks and quarters.

That way, the common refrigerator was nor cluttered with beer.

[leaning conservative]

If they serve bbq pork rinds will they have to get a snack permit?

[MD Expat in PA]

The police are wrong, you do not need a liquor license to serve alcohol to your guests. To sell it, yes. You do not need an entertainment license to play music by paid DJ on your own private property unless you are selling liquor or charging a cover charge. What is wrong with the police?

I don’t think they’re talking about a few friends getting together for some beers and BBQ.

Yes and Yes. I presume that what they are really concerned about are these huge (hum read “urban”) late night parties that are advertised via social media and if they are posting flyers on store fronts and on utility poles advertising the party, that makes it sound more like a unlicensed “public” party and not really a private gathering, and those often get way out of hand when hundreds of people (i.e. “youts” and gang members) who may not even know the people who are throwing the party show up and cause mayhem. And from what I understand, sometimes these party organizers do try to collect a “cover charge” and that can go very, very bad when the party crashing gang members show up.

On the other hand, “Police are urging neighbors to call the party hotline” could also result in your back yard beer and BBQ party getting a no knock raid by the police if you’ve got a busy body neighbor call in a complaint merely claiming you’ve got a huge crowd and or that he or she “smelled or suspected you were toking some joints, when it might only be family and friends and not out an out of control drug hazed party.

But if you do throw any sort of party, just make sure you lock up your dog. /s. Not to mention that if you post on your FB page that you are throwing a 4th of July beer and BBQ party for friends and family, even if you have your FB security set to “friends only”, remember that the LEO’s (thanks to the NSA) can see and read everything. If you have fire crackers or sparklers and post anything remotely conservative to your FB page, expect the ATF, DHS and the IRS to show up as well.

[muir_redwoods]

They’re working their way through the Bill of Rights. The first, second, forth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth and now, in Henderson NV, the third amendment has been violated by the police.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Here's an example, and they are often aimed at underage people and advertised on social media:

Teen beating death: Fatal party began small, grew out of control

The leftist AJC wants to make it sound like it started as a nice quiet get together of teens, but it was an advertised, paid admission party.

They buy a bunch of cheap booze, get DJ, and charge a cover fee.

And if you lived next to me and had 25-50 cars on the street every month, we'd be having a chat.

[Bronzy]

Oh, the good ole pasture bash.

[ExGeeEye]

Amateurs.

A legendary party at my college fraternity involved rolling a bowling ball down the street (rather steep slope) and watching as it departed visual range about 400 yards away.

Never found it.

[epow]

Am I missing something in this article or is it actually what it appears to be? It seems to be that Bostonians will now have to get some government hack’s permission, probably at a price, in order to entertain guests in their own private homes. How much more politically correct can those people up there get before they tell their elected masters that enough is enough?

Actually, I suppose most of them will welcome this brazen suspension of one of their basic human rights since a very large majority of MA voters seem to want government at every level to provide everything they need for day to day living in exchange for surrendering the rights and liberty that their legendary forefathers fought so valiantly both on the battlefields and in the halls of government to secure for them. Sad, very sad.

[SamAdams76]

A legendary party at my college fraternity involved rolling a bowling ball down the street...

Well this is the result of your "little prank." Please let me know where I can send the bill.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

A lot of these “parties” are actually unlicensed after hours clubs that charge admission and by the drink. They are also in violation of zoning laws, conducting business in residential neighborhoods. And even if they were just private parties in people’s homes, they violate noise and nuance ordinances.

If you have no problem with them, let me know and we’ll have someone set one up next door to you. Enjoy your sleep, over the shoutin’, music and gunfire.

[mistfree]

And when are we going to be “proactive” with the police? We need to have the legislature raise the bar on “obstructing a police officer”. They use that to arrest and intimidate when they have been shown to be completely wrong. (See, young woman arrested for buying a case of bottled water in Charlottesville, VA.) I say raise the threshold for the obstruction charge and attach a civil penalty against the officer convicted of using it as a tool for harassment. Yes there is such a thing as obstruction of a police officer but it is not, Opps, I made a mistake and will never admit it so I’ll arrest you on obstruction. This militarization of police needs to be nipped in the bud.

[varyouga]

“And even if they were just private parties in people’s homes, they violate noise and nuance ordinances.”

There's a HUGE difference between warning/ticketing parties that get too loud and what is going on here.

These cops are sniffing out parties in advance by social media and demanding permits for private parties with a DJ. Just another cash-generating fishing expedition for gubmint workers.

I host parties for 50-100 people at least once a month and don’t charge admission. Been doing it for years with no issues or complaints but I do invite a respectful crowd. I know what the noise limits are and have a meter on hand if cops don't believe me.

[Covenantor]

Sounds like Ithaca, like Cornell, like PiKAs?

[ScottinVA]

A liquor license for beer at a party??? F*** that!

[epow]

They are very common in the ATL metro area where I live, and they are essentially unlicensed night clubs in single family dwellings.

I guess I posted my first reply before reading far enough, what you describe isn't at all what I thought those Boston parties are all about.

I'm too old and set in my ways to even envision that kind of party. Out here in the north GA backwoods we don't throw that kind of party. 0nce in a while we just invite a few friends and neighbors over to our places to eat some good ole country style vittles, drink some ice tea or coffee, and "chew the fat" for a couple of hours. There aint no fights goin on at those get-togethers and nobody in the area gets mad and calls the high sheriff down on us. Two different worlds I suppose, and I like mine a whole lot better than I would like theirs.

But what I said about MA voters is still true, they are much too willing to give up rights and liberties that their forefathers died to secure for them as long as big government supplies their every need at the cost of surrendering those blood-bought rights and liberty. And IMHO that's still sad, very sad.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Two different worlds I suppose, and I like mine a whole lot better than I would like theirs.

I know what you mean; I am wrapping up a July 4th vacation in what remains of small-town America, and I like it better than even my safe, quiet, beautiful, but anonymous suburb.

[varyouga]

“And if you lived next to me and had 25-50 cars on the street every month, we'd be having a chat.”

Ok Nanny. Understandable about the parking but it doesn't exist in NYC anyway.

There's a difference between police ticketing/dispersing parties that get out of hand based on neighbor complaints and going on a fishing expedition on social media for permits.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

I think a lot of this is based on parents screaming at the city to crack down on these parties. Unable to control their children, they don’t want big events, with alcohol and drugs aplenty, because they know their little darlings will do anything to get to them.