Ahead of Western University’s Homecoming and FoCo celebrations, London police say their annual crackdown on rowdy student parties has led to dozens of tickets.
Between September 5 and 19, one person was charged under the Reopening Ontario Act, two people were arrested for public intoxication, 15 were handed provincial offence notices, and eight were given bylaw notices.
Dubbed, Project LEARN, the annual crackdown was launched in 2007 as a way of encouraging students to celebrate responsibly while also reining in student parties in the downtown and near Western University and Fanshawe College. This year's enforcement and education program continues until Saturday - the same day as Western homecoming and student parties known as fake homecoming or FoCo.
"As we head toward the final weekend of Project LEARN, we are reminding students that we will be out in the community, ensuring that public health guidelines, as well as criminal, provincial and city by-laws are being adhered to,” said Chief Steve Williams. “The safety of our community is our priority. Where we see actions that threaten that safety, we will intervene.”
Public health inspectors will also be out over the weekend, enforcing a new Section 22 Order from the region's medical officer of health which reinforces the province's cap of the number of people allowed at a social gathering - 25 indoors and 100 outdoors. Fines for violators start at $750 for an individual and $1,000 for a business.