As new and returning students head to Western and Fanshawe to begin the school year, London police will maintain high visibility and strict law enforcement on and off campuses. London Police Services' twice-annual Project L.E.A.R.N. (Liquor Enforcement And Reduction in Noise) campaign will begin on August 30 and run for five weeks until the end of September.

“We want to educate students on what the law states and ensure that they follow the rules,” said London Police Const. Dennis Rivest. “If they follow the rules, they can have fun without getting in trouble.” Many of the charges laid during Project L.E.A.R.N. are alcohol- related, such as drinking in public, open liquor and drinking underage, as well as charges related to the behaviour that goes along with drinking, such as urinating in public, mischief, noise and trespassing.

“What we're trying to do is just get people to be respectful and keep your parties to a manageable size, and know that, as the tenant of the place hosting the party or as the owner of the property where there is a party, there is some civil responsibility placed upon you,” he continued. “(You need to know) who's at your party. The trouble that can be caused can come back to you as the party host.”

He cautioned students to plan their gathering, be aware of who will be attending and be wary of posting your gathering on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter — parties can easily get out of hand when uninvited guests show up. “It's easy to spread the word of a gathering, and the next thing you know, you end up in a situation like we had on St. Patrick's Day.”

The March 17 riot on Fleming Drive led to a total of 175 Criminal Code charges laid against 68 individuals, and of those charged, 26 individuals were Fanshawe College students at the time. Though some London residents are still “jumpy” about the riot, Rivest said police will not be making any changes to Project L.E.A.R.N. and it will continue to run as it has for years, as each year the number of Provincial Offense Notices and Criminal Code charges given out are declining.

Rivest said Project L.E.A.R.N. is a “positive step forward,” and students should be aware that police do not use the campaign to pick on them. “It is not the police trying to attack students; this is the police doing their job to maintain public safety and to ensure that people are conforming with the law and that everybody can enjoy their property.”