KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Representatives with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) will host a virtual town hall meeting Monday on the subject of mobile nuisance parties.
The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. on Monday via Zoom, and members of the public are invited to participate.
“Mobile nuisance parties have been a problem for far too long,” KDPS Chief Vernon L. Coakley, Jr. said in a statement. “We are hosting this town hall discussion to have an open dialogue with our community about plans for addressing them in 2021 and into the future.”
Representatives from the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Public Services will provide updates during the town hall.
On Monday morning, KDPS Assistant Chief Dave Boysen spoke with WKZO about this meeting.
“We’re talking about cars that gather, usually 50 to 100 or more,” Boysen said. “It’s a pop-up mobile party, they’ll stop in an area, socialize and party, and then they’ll move on to another area. The problem is that these happen very late at night, typically well after midnight and before 6 a.m. when people are trying to sleep. It’s creating a lot of disturbance in the neighborhoods, so that’s what we’re working with the community to try and address.”
Boysen said community input is going to be needed to remedy the situation, which is why this town hall is being held.
“We really want input from the community, especially those residents who live in those neighborhoods that are impacted by this type of activity, to give us some feedback,” Boysen said. “We really want to find a permanent solution to this issue.”
Boysen added that parties like these are a strain on KDPS resources, and this meeting will be the first of multiple. Another meeting is planned for next month on March 22.
Residents can participate in the Monday night event electronically on Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/96854042122 or by phone at (269) 552-6425 and entering meeting ID: 968 5404 2122.
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