Newcastle University has drawn up plans to tackle anti-social behaviour by the city’s students after a recent increase in police callouts to raucous house parties.
The plan involves printing postcards which will be delivered to student houses or handed out by university tutors. The postcards will make clear the impact that noisy and inconsiderate behaviour can have on families and the elderly.
One postcard features a mother saying, “How do I explain their tiredness tomorrow to their teacher?” Another shows an elderly couple talking about “one of our most frightening experiences ever. They behaved as a mob, expletive-laden shouting and screaming as they rampaged up and down the street.”
Newcastle University’s Student Union will also send leaflets to households in neighbourhoods with big student populations, encouraging residents to contact the university if they have any problems.
The university has promised to follow up any complaints and to inform people of any sanctions applied to students found to have behaved in an anti-social manner.
The Student Union has also organised litter picks in student-heavy areas and encouraged students moving out for the summer to give any unwanted belongings to charity.
Our staff, students and local police join forces to help clean-up Jesmond https://t.co/zHAFd6CJK2
— Newcastle University (@UniofNewcastle) June 13, 2017
Another campaign, entitled ‘Halls to Home’, seeks to educate students who’ve recently moved out of student halls about how to live responsibly in their neighbourhoods and to inform them about the hazards of overcrowded house parties.
Newcastle University’s attempts to deal with anti-social behaviour are being supported by Northumbria University, Newcastle City Council and Northumbria Police.
A spokesperson for Northumbria Police said, “There has been an increase in the number of house parties we have been called to this year, and we continue to receive reports from local people about issues regarding noise, anti-social behaviour and concern for their community.”
“Both our universities are an important part of our city and they have shown a real willingness to engage with both students and local communities to resolve any issues that affect the lives of residents in areas like Heaton and Jesmond.”
Newcastle University also plans to stress that it is only a minority of students who behave anti-socially and that many students contribute positively to local communities.
Students have recently helped out with a ‘Green Day’ at West Jesmond Primary School and have helped older residents improve their computer skills through the IT on the Move project.
(Featured image courtesy of Joe Lodge, from Flickr Creative Commons)
