House party busts are a routine procedure for Excise OfficerMonte McMahan.
The windows rattle to the rhythm of the blaring music as theofficer approaches the house.
His shoes stick to the beer-coated floor as he weaves his waythrough the crowded entryway searching for the home-owner, hesaid.
"OK, anyone who's 21 get up here," McMahan yells. The bust hasofficially begun.
The team has busted about 10 house parties since January foralcohol violations such as underage drinking and sale of alcoholwithout a permit, McMahan said.
McMahan will be seeing even more busts because the Muncie PoliceDepartment announced it is cracking down on house parties at aTuesday press conference.
When sophomore Karl Harford went to a house party on Saturday,police said he met the three men who are suspected in his shootingdeath.
Police Chief Joe Winkle said the crackdown started with citingthe residents of 1010 W. Abbott St. for maintaining a commonnuisance and contributing to the delinquency of minors.
"It's a good place to start," Winkle said. "It's not just thisaddress."
JUST THE FACTS
The number of alcohol-related arrests and citations hasincreased this year because the university has more officerspatrolling on the weekends, Heather Shupp, executive director ofuniversity communications, said.
On the weekends from Jan. 14 to March 7, university police made18 arrests and issued 30 citations. During the same period in 2003,the police made two arrests and gave seven citations.
Lt. Mike Rosemeyer said the excise police team has made 35alcohol-related arrests in Muncie since January.
If students are arrested on charges of minor consumption, theycan be fined up to $500 or spend 60 days in jail, McMahan said.Students arrested on charges of selling alcohol without a permitcan be fined $1,000 or spend up to 180 days in jail, he said.
"In a college environment, house parties seem to be an issue,"McMahan said. "It depends on how proactive the law enforcement is.If they're proactive, the parties tend not to be a problem."
DANGERS
House parties can put both law enforcement and students indanger, McMahan said.
Overcrowding is the main problem the officers first encounterwhen they enter a house, he said. When students drink they losetheir sense of judgment and ability to evaluate situations, such asa fire, McMahan said.
When drunken students panic in a crowded house party, a stampedecould happen easily, Chief Fire Inspector Joe Scott said.
The fire department regulates how many people can be in bars andother businesses, he said.
He said 180 people per 3-foot door is the standard rule ofthumb. To know exactly, Scott said he has to measure the squarefootage that is available for public use.
"Houses are a different story," Scott said. "We don't have theright to go in and set the occupancy limit."
Freshman Brandi Johnson said she understands the consequences ofovercrowding. Johnson said she is cautious when she goes out withher friends on the weekends.
If a house is too crowded, Johnson said they will leaveimmediately because it might not be safe.
"Sometimes it's a little weird," she said. "It depends on whereyou go."
Johnson said they didn't enter a house party once because theycould smell marijuana as they walked up to the front porch. If ahouse is trashed on the outside or inside, she said they'll leavebecause it could be dangerous.
McMahan said the houses that Johnson considers dangerous are thetype of houses he busts.
"They're filthy," McMahan said. "The houses are trashed, thecarpets are soaked with beer and the furniture is broken down. It'slike they don't care what their house looks like after theparty."
WHY STUDENTS GO
Ball State counselor John Stachula said freshmen are more likelyto go to house parties because it's a way to meet people, and theythink it's typical college behavior.
"Some students think it's a way to get past social anxiety orit's a rite of passage," Stachula said. "It's really a question ofwhy young people take risks. Is it a part of the thrill?"
Junior Tony Valenti said house parties aren't that risky becausefriends tend to look out for each other.
Valenti said he started going to house parties as a freshmen tosocialize. Now that he's a junior, Valenti said he doesn't go tohouse parties because he parties with a group of friends and he'sold enough to go to the bars.
"It was something fun to do on the weekends," Valenti said."Also, there's a point when you become older that you become moreserious."
The house parties can also be small fund raisers for the persongiving the party, he said.
"I've had friends who have had parties just to pay theirutilities," Valenti said.
Rob Hook, Friendly Package manager, said a keg of Keystone beer,the store's best seller, is $49.99 plus a $10 deposit for the keg.A keg can hold 16 gallons of beer or about 170 glasses, 12 ounceseach.
At the house parties Johnson's attended, she said $5 can buy acup of endless beer from the keg.
According to a Counseling Center survey, about 58 percent ofBall State students drink four drinks at the most when they party.At that rate of consumption and that cost per party goer, the partyhost would make about $210 from one keg.
Students under 21 turn to house parties to drink because they'retoo young to go to the bars, Scott said.
"It's the social life," Johnson said. "There's not manyactivities to do in Muncie. It's one of the only late-nightactivities."
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