Party patrols should be open

When I first asked to accompany the greek party patrol for a night, I got an interesting response.\n"You're not greek, are you?"\nI'm not, and that's one of the reasons why I'm interested in describing how greeks now police the greek system.\nMy expectation was never to expose the party patrol as a sham. I didn't even expect to get dirt on the patrol. I just wanted some good background for a column.\nBut for three weeks, my requests have been denied.\n"We're certainly open to scrutiny, but there's no reason to allow a third party to come around on party patrol with us," Interfraternity Council President Evan Waldman said.\nWaldman said he's concerned that if he opens it up to the IDS, he'll have to open it up to other third parties, like chapter presidents.\nOnce upon a time, parties were patrolled by the deans. Then IU hired an employee with the single task of patrolling greek parties. He was let go last year.\nSo the greek system has patrolled its own parties since last semester.\nThe greek party patrol, composed of two or three IFC and Panhellenic Association executives, visits all registered parties in the greek system every weekend.\nThey look for alcohol and risk management violations, including obstructed doorways, wet floors, fire hazards and overcrowded halls. IU deans review the party patrol's notes every week and infractions are tried in the campus judicial system.\nWaldman says it's working.\nHe said the patrol doesn't ignore any infractions, even a few empty beer cans, because that would ruin the patrol's credibility. On the issue of IFC execs patrolling their own fraternities, Waldman points out that members disassociate from their chapters to serve the entire greek system. Plus, he said, members tend to hold their own fraternities to a higher standard.\n"We know we're doing the right thing and that's what matters the most," he said.\nIU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger is more skeptical.\n"It sounds like a way around the system to me," he said.\nSo far this academic year, four fraternity parties have been busted by the IUPD, tipped off in most cases by noise violations. In each situation, students were arrested or tried through the campus judicial system.\nNone of those violations were documented by the party patrol.\nBut that could've been a coincidence. The parties were probably under control when the patrol visited. \nDean of Students Richard McKaig said he is happy the greek system is trying out self-monitoring since it has worked at other colleges, but it's too early to tell whether the party patrols have been successful.\n"I have a feeling that we might not always agree to the exact letter to what is a safe and reasonable party scene," McKaig said, "but we're talking about progress."\nThe party patrol is still new, and it's clearly committed to making the greek system safer and stronger.\nOpenness would make it even stronger. Scrutiny by "third-parties" including the IDS could point out what's working well with the patrols and what could be improved. It could also help outsiders better understand the greek system.\nThe offer is still on the table.