Project LEARN stats still up

Only three weeks into the new school year, and London Police have already given out more tickets with this semester's Project LEARN, than they did in all of last year's program.

Rowdy action is exploding throughout the city of London, and due to Project Learn's zero tolerance policy, few are getting away with bad behaviour.

To date, an astounding 1,015 tickets have been issued to students and residents residing in the London area. Out of those tickets issued, 958 have been Provincial offence tickets and 57 have been drug charges, according to police.

Tickets that are issued under the Provincial Offence Act include urinating in public, noise complaints and liquor violations.

A problem area in the city appears to be none other than Fleming Dr.

Endless parties have erupted and a number of tickets have been handed out in the last three weeks, which included many Fanshawe College students.

Associate Vice-President of Housing and Ancillary at Western University Susan Grindrod stated that she does not understand why there have been fewer arrests at UWO as opposed to Fanshawe.

“During the first week that new students are at Western, we work with our University Students Council to put on an orientation program to assist new students with the transition to university and keep them occupied and entertained on campus,” explained Grindrod on the initiatives the university put in place during Orientation. “Our orientation week program is alcohol free and supported by about 600 sophomore students who volunteer to assist our students.”

Residents living in the Fleming Dr. area have mixed emotions on living in a place that has been doomed as a ‘party area'.

Unfortunately it is the rare student who causes a disturbance within that area, and due to their negligent behaviour, all are deemed responsible.

A number of students have been asked whether or not they would've moved into the Fleming complex if they had been informed of the party image that specific area portrayed?

A 19-year-old female Fine Arts student who has requested her name be withheld said, “I didn't think it was going to be this bad and this out of control and insane. If I had a chance to live elsewhere at the moment, I would in a heartbeat.”

A male student, identified only as Justin, who is in his first year of General Arts and Sciences at Fanshawe said, “It doesn't bother me to the extent that I would need to move. Guys I live with are cool guys and we all get along pretty well. Therefore, as long as there is no damage done to our property, I can tolerate the noise and all the parties.”

Project LEARN will continue to patrol specific areas such as UWO, Fanshawe College and the Downtown core. The zero tolerance policy will be intact until October 4.