Fullerton : Party-Givers Will Have to Pay for Police Calls

The City Council has recently approved an ordinance that requires hosts of noisy parties to pay for the time and effort it takes police officers to quell any disturbances.

Known as the “Second Call Ordinance,” the new measure mandates that party hosts be billed for services if police officers are required to respond to a host’s home twice in one night when neighbors complain of noise.

Charges for second calls range from a minimum of $50 to a maximum of $500, according to Capt. Richard S. Kvancz, commander of the Police Department’s patrol division, who said the charges will be determined by the number of officers dispatched, the time it takes them to handle the disturbance and any damage caused to city property.

He also said that police officers dispatched a second time to the same address will be authorized to end the party and to stay on the scene until all guests have left.

Kvancz said it is not unusual for the department to receive two or three noisy-party calls an hour on weekend nights.

“In the past, each of those repeat visits was at the taxpayers’ expense,” he said. “Repeat visits also deplete our patrol strength because we have to take officers out of the field to handle large parties.”