Moving Isla Vista’s noise curfew back to 2 a.m. on weekends is bad not only for the families affected by the noise and alcohol related crimes of weekend life in Isla Vista – it’s dangerous for the students partying in Isla Vista.
It’s college, sure. But the community has a responsibility to keep all of its members as safe as possible.
When a weekend night with a serious fight, one reported rape and countless alcohol related citations in IV is considered a “slow” night for the Isla Vista Foot Patrol, it is clear that the community is not safe under the current curfew.
Extending the curfew widens the window for crime and alcohol related incidents to endanger the entire IV community.
Families in IV have the right to the safest community possible without undue restraint on individual liberties.
Partying loud just until midnight is not unduly infringing on student’s rights or liberties. Further, zoning the change in noise curfews does nothing to limit the potential crime fallout from the additional hours of partying.
The issue isn’t about noise; it isn’t about partying; it’s about the safety of the IV community. Moving the noise curfew to 2 a.m. unnecessarily imperils Isla Vista’s families, students, and its visitors.
Editor’s note: The Channels Editorial Board was evenly split on this issue and voted for joint editorials representing the board’s divided opinion.