Raucous party-throwers in Glendale could face fines for police calls

Hosts of raucous events in Glendale that prompt multiple police responses face fines of between $250 and $1,100 under a proposal that won unanimous support from the City Council this week.

The fines were drafted in response to a 4,000-square-foot house in northwest Glendale that was advertised as an “entertainer’s outdoor paradise” on Airbnb.com, the Glendale News-Press reported.

Officers responded to six parties at the house on Norton Avenue between October 2013 and January 2014, one of which involved a police helicopter shining a spotlight on the home. Complaints from neighbors of loud music, fighting and beer bottles in the streets nearly every weekend prompted meetings between city officials and the property management firm.

“We faced a problem where there was unacceptable noise and obnoxious behavior being conducted at all hours,” Councilman Ara Najarian said after the Tuesday night council meeting. “Our hands were basically tied.”

The fine system would begin with a written warning, but if officers return to a location because of a party within 12 hours to three months, the person who organized the party or in charge of the premises, could be slapped with a $250 fine, according to a city report.

The fine climbs to $500 for the third police response and $1,100 for the sixth.

Glendale Police Chief Robert Castro said the party fines provide relief to upset neighbors but also give police the flexibility to consider waiving the fee.

“It is only a tool we use for problem locations and not at normal homes,” he said.

The proposal must be approved by the City Council at a final reading of the ordinance next week.

“We don’t have a lot of problems like this in Glendale, but we did have one. Hopefully, this will give police the tools they need,” Councilwoman Laura Friedman said.

brittany.levine@latimes.com

Twitter: @brittanylevine

Brittany Levine is a Times Community News staff writer.