Fullerton : Campus Police to Field Calls About Fraternities

Cal State Fullerton campus police and the Fullerton Police Department have agreed informally that city police will automatically refer nuisance complaints against university fraternities to campus security officials.

The agreement comes in the wake of increasing numbers of complaints from residents living near the university’s fraternity row, two blocks north of the campus, that fraternity members litter their property, park on their streets and make too much noise.

Under the new agreement, residents who call city police to complain about noise, trash or other fraternity-related problems will be referred to Cal State Fullerton campus police, but city police will continue to handle criminal calls and routine patrols of streets neighboring the fraternities, said Capt. Phil Goehring of the Fullerton Police Department.

“Campus officers have a day-to-day relationship with the students,” Goehring said. “They may be more successful in bringing quicker response to complaints.”

Cal State Fullerton police will inform fraternities of complaints and ask them to eliminate the nuisance, campus police said. If the fraternities fail to comply, they could be issued a citation, officials said.

In other recent efforts to alleviate complaints, the university limited fraternities to two parties per weekend, and the City Council voted to begin a parking permit system, giving only residents in the adjacent neighborhoods and their guests permission to park on the streets.