Temple aims to crackdown on off-campus parties, underage drinking

NORTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Temple University is taking a new approach to keeping off-campus parties under control.

Sabrina Gibson says she has lived off the west side of Temple University for four years.

"It's a lot of underage drinking. They're vandalizing your cars, they're urinating on your property and all you see up and down the block is a whole lot of red cups," said Gibson of North Philadelphia. "Because when you see the red cups, you know they're partying."

She's among the last full-time residents on her block.

An explosion of off-campus construction for Temple students has left Gibson and others frustrated by the drinking and parties that come with it.

"What's frustrating to me is the noise, it's so dirty and the partying," said Gibson. "And they do it all times at night. There is no cutoff point."

"They cannot assume that they can do anything they want off campus, and be as disruptive and dangerous to the community as they have been," said Stephanie Ives, Dean of Students.

Ives tells us teams of three-six graduate students will begin patrolling off-campus housing from Thursday night through Saturday night.

"The graduate students are just observers of the environment, and trying to give the police an idea of a situation that is escalating or students who need help because they are medically in trouble," said Ives.

Fines will now jump from $500 to $750 for a second underage drinking offense - $1000 for a third offense. Host an out-of-control party, and it'll be $1,500.

Temple sophomore Cole Drahus says he thinks the new program and accompanying fines will have an impact.

"Yes, I definitely think it will. It's going to be a little stricter, and hopefully it'll control some of the people who go a little too crazy," said Drahus.

School officials say the pilot program will last several weeks, and then the university will re-access the program this summer and implement a full program at the beginning of the next school year.