This October, UW-Eau Claire’s Party Registry System will be celebrating the one year anniversary of being implemented.
The system’s creator is Bradford Heap, a third-year health care administration student and the Student Organization Commission director.
Heap, a Colorado native, said he took inspiration from Colorado State University’s registry system.
This is Heap’s was re-elected as the Student Organization Commission director last May and this is his second year in the position.
Heap said the main goal of the system is to create a better community while improving relations between UW- Eau Claire students and the Eau Claire Police Department.
Heap said the system has been in effect since October 2022 and his main role is to promote the system and coordinate with the Eau Claire Police Department.
There were 50 parties registered with the system during the 2022-23 school year, with only five noise complaints from the neighbors. During the 2023-24 school year, there have been 11 parties registered.
Lieutenant Greg Weber said only one party had been approached without a prior call because it had gotten bigger than anticipated with many people spilling into an alleyway, and police had to investigate.
It is difficult to be sure that a called-in complaint is for one specific party, as most times there are multiple parties on one block, and it is hard to know which house the complaint is for Weber said.
Weber said the system is helpful and students registering their parties means they want to have a safe, responsible party.
Heap said the most recent changes to the system took effect this semester, with the most notable change being to register a party 48 hours in advance instead of the previous 24.
Heap said the decision was to better coordinate between the Student Senate as well as city police to ensure which parties are registered and which ones have been nuisances in the past.
“The Party Registry System is designed to help you and help campus police. By registering, you are showing the police that you are taking that step as an aware college student to promote safety, good decisions, and self-responsibility,” Heap said.
Both Heap and Weber said registering parties is not meant to be a safety net if police do end up at a party, but to be responsible when throwing by being mindful of neighbors.
To register a party, the host needs to provide simple information such as name, address, time frame, whether it’s inside, outside or both, primary and secondary phone numbers of two individuals who are residents of the property, anticipated attendance and acknowledge to obey all laws.
The UW-Eau Claire website provides not only tips on how to register a party, but also how to throw one safely.
Boggess can be reached at [email protected].
