Man's face slashed in latest alcohol-related incident
An out of control party on Fleming Drive on October 22, ended with one non-Fanshawe student being seriously injured with a beer bottle after a fight erupted.
Fleming Drive, located directly across the street from the college, is a known student residence and a recent target for police aiming at cracking down on alcohol-induced student misbehaviour. In this particular incident, police reported a disturbance that involved approximately 25 people.
Police said two individuals, who were also not enrolled at the College, were injured in the fight and Owen Clarke, 21, of London was charged with three counts of assault with a weapon.
London police Chief Murray Faulkner told the London Free Press he is fed up with the behaviour of many drunken students and will lobby the Alcohol and Gaming Commission to raise fines from $125 to $500 for anyone charged with liquor offenses in designated areas near the College and the University of Western Ontario.
Bernie MacDonald, London City Councillor in the Fanshawe ward, said he is going to try and reestablish his original idea, which was rejected earlier this year, of placing a satellite police station near the Fanshawe campus.
“We need continued police presence in these areas,” MacDonald said to the London Free Press. “Already this year we've had two near-fatal incidents near the college since the students came back and the neighbours are very upset.”
Glen Matthews, the Colleges housing mediation officer, said he doesn't think the satellite station is a viable answer.
“The police only have so many resources. The question is how to deploy them,” Matthews said.
Matthews also said utilizing the mobile command trailer of the London police department is a better and more workable option.
“I'm saying if you don't obey the law, the fine has to be of some significance to be a deterrent. A $125 fine is not a deterrent at all. Our CORE (Community Oriented Response Unit) officers say kids call these tickets a badge of honour,” Faulkner said to the London Free Press.
Fanshawe President, Howard Rundle, agreed with Faulkner in that more needs to be done to control the situation on Fleming Drive.
Project Speakeasy, a stepped-up law enforcement initiative established by London police during the first five weeks of the school year, ended at the beginning of October. Over the course of the month 842 charges were laid in the downtown core and near the campuses of both Western and Fanshawe, which included 323 liquor violations.
Fleming Drive, located directly across the street from the college, is a known student residence and a recent target for police aiming at cracking down on alcohol-induced student misbehaviour. In this particular incident, police reported a disturbance that involved approximately 25 people.
Police said two individuals, who were also not enrolled at the College, were injured in the fight and Owen Clarke, 21, of London was charged with three counts of assault with a weapon.
London police Chief Murray Faulkner told the London Free Press he is fed up with the behaviour of many drunken students and will lobby the Alcohol and Gaming Commission to raise fines from $125 to $500 for anyone charged with liquor offenses in designated areas near the College and the University of Western Ontario.
Bernie MacDonald, London City Councillor in the Fanshawe ward, said he is going to try and reestablish his original idea, which was rejected earlier this year, of placing a satellite police station near the Fanshawe campus.
“We need continued police presence in these areas,” MacDonald said to the London Free Press. “Already this year we've had two near-fatal incidents near the college since the students came back and the neighbours are very upset.”
Glen Matthews, the Colleges housing mediation officer, said he doesn't think the satellite station is a viable answer.
“The police only have so many resources. The question is how to deploy them,” Matthews said.
Matthews also said utilizing the mobile command trailer of the London police department is a better and more workable option.
“I'm saying if you don't obey the law, the fine has to be of some significance to be a deterrent. A $125 fine is not a deterrent at all. Our CORE (Community Oriented Response Unit) officers say kids call these tickets a badge of honour,” Faulkner said to the London Free Press.
Fanshawe President, Howard Rundle, agreed with Faulkner in that more needs to be done to control the situation on Fleming Drive.
Project Speakeasy, a stepped-up law enforcement initiative established by London police during the first five weeks of the school year, ended at the beginning of October. Over the course of the month 842 charges were laid in the downtown core and near the campuses of both Western and Fanshawe, which included 323 liquor violations.
