L.E.A.R.N. returns
London Police Services' twice-annual Project L.E.A.R.N. (Liquor Enforcement and Reduction in Noise) campaign will begin on April 11 and will be operational until April 28. According to an LPS press release, specific attention will be paid to the areas surrounding Fanshawe College, Western University and the downtown area, specifically Richmond Street and the surrounding residential areas.
The campaign takes place twice annually — once in September, as post-secondary students come to London, and once in April, as students prepare to leave.
“Project L.E.A.R.N. is particularly geared to focus on areas where there's high (instances) of partying (and disturbances) that happens,” explained Const. Dennis Rivest, Corporate Communications and Public Relations Officer for the London Police Service. “We basically are looking at areas that are frequented by students or people of student age where they'll gather and have loud and oftentimes out-of-control parties. This is an education program to help these students and others learn that this behaviour is not tolerated in our communities and we will take strict enforcement.”
He added that police will continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to the Fleming Drive area near Fanshawe College, in light of the March 17 riot that involved 1,000 people, many of them Fanshawe students. Police will maintain high visibility in that area charges will be laid on individuals for any breach of the law, stressed the press release.
“Clearly we need to educate students and others that when you're visiting an area, you need to be respectful of the community itself,” said Rivest. “Oftentimes there are permanent residents that are there, and when large crowds gather to have a social gathering, they need to respect the people who live there on a regular, full-time basis. This is about education, about teaching people to respect other people in their community.”
The campaign takes place twice annually — once in September, as post-secondary students come to London, and once in April, as students prepare to leave.
“Project L.E.A.R.N. is particularly geared to focus on areas where there's high (instances) of partying (and disturbances) that happens,” explained Const. Dennis Rivest, Corporate Communications and Public Relations Officer for the London Police Service. “We basically are looking at areas that are frequented by students or people of student age where they'll gather and have loud and oftentimes out-of-control parties. This is an education program to help these students and others learn that this behaviour is not tolerated in our communities and we will take strict enforcement.”
He added that police will continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to the Fleming Drive area near Fanshawe College, in light of the March 17 riot that involved 1,000 people, many of them Fanshawe students. Police will maintain high visibility in that area charges will be laid on individuals for any breach of the law, stressed the press release.
“Clearly we need to educate students and others that when you're visiting an area, you need to be respectful of the community itself,” said Rivest. “Oftentimes there are permanent residents that are there, and when large crowds gather to have a social gathering, they need to respect the people who live there on a regular, full-time basis. This is about education, about teaching people to respect other people in their community.”
