The number of tickets issued during the first weekend of orientation has hit a three-year low.
The tickets were issued during the University District Safety Initiative (UDSI) period, a program led by the Kingston Police, the City of Kingston, and the University. Activated during times of heightened disruption on campus, the UDSI enables the issuing of Administrative Monetary Penalties for by-law violations. The UDSI went into effect on Aug. 28 and will continue until Sept. 7.
Last weekend, the Kingston Police handed out 94 tickets, 91 for open alcohol, two for underage drinking, and one for stunt driving. This marks a 21 per cent drop from 2024, when 119 tickets were issued, and a 78.8 per cent drop from 2023, when 444 tickets were handed out.
Open alcohol violations accounted for a larger proportion of tickets handed out this year, making up 96.8 per cent of the total. In comparison, these charges only made up 91.3 per cent of tickets issued in 2024, and 66.4 per cent of tickets issued in 2023, with underage drinking, noise-based violations, and party-related charges accounting for larger shares.
In a statement to The Journal, the Kingston Police said that the weekend “in general, was positive.” They didn’t report any major incidents as having occurred, with “Friday and Saturday [seeing] a busy bar district.”
One issue the Police noted as particularly prevalent this year was students refusing to identify themselves after being found in alleged violation of the Liquor License and Control Act. Sometimes, students didn’t have any identification on them whatsoever, although the Police clarified that “[they] have ways to work around this, so it doesn’t hinder [their] procedures all that much.”
The concern expressed by the Police is that, without identification, in the event of a medical emergency, no one would be able to identify the student or know who to contact.
Despite the drop in tickets this year, some students still criticize the UDSI, calling the increased police presence and fines unreasonable. Samantha Ruffo, ArtSci ‘27, shared her concerns in an interview with The Journal.
“I know people who have received $500 fines for open alcohol during the UDSI, when the Liquor License and Control Act set the fine at only $100,” Ruffo said.
“We’re students. Some of us can barely afford groceries. There is no justification for increasing a fine so dramatically for such a financially vulnerable population regarding what’s a relatively harmless crime.”
On Saturday, the Police engaged in a takeover of a street party on University Ave. between Union St. and William St. The gathering started at 10:30 p.m., being declared a nuisance party at 12:30 a.m., and was lifted at 1:15 a.m.
The UDSI will be in effect until Sept. 7 and is often reinstated during homecoming.
Tags
fines, Orientation weekend, UDSI
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