Sheriff's Department in Lynwood Using Social Media to Crackdown on ‘Awry’ Parties

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The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) has informed the city of Lynwood that it is making use of social media websites to keep a watch on parties that have the potential of “going awry.”

“Whether or not your house party has turned into a Facebook party or not, if the address is located in the City of Lynwood and the party has gotten out of control, rest assured that the Century Sheriff’s Station will be among your uninvited guests,” warns a city issued press-release.

Hosts of large parties can lose control of their festivity, and this could lead to bad results.

According to the city press release, public Facebook parties in Lynwood, where some even charge attendees for admission, have been shut down by the LASD, along with the city’s code enforcement department.

“This is about taking a proactive approach to party calls, and prevent them from getting out of control before they get out of control,” said Lieutenant Ernie Chavez of the LASD Century Sheriff’s Station, which polices Lynwood. “We’re not going out there telling people they can’t have house parties, but we are telling them that they need to be responsible.”

The Lynwood City Council addressed the issue of disruptive festivities by adopting a Loud Parties and Gatherings ordinance. The city also pays for a “Party Car,” a patrol unit that used by the LASD to respond to party related complaints on Saturday.

Violators of the ordinance are given citations, said the press release.

City officials insist that citizens should not hold back on their celebrations, but to be considerate and conscious of the rules.

“The City is not saying that you can’t have celebrations at your home,” said Deborah Jackson, Director of the Lynwood Public Relations Department. “Whether it’s 11 a.m. or 11 p.m., you need to be conscious of how any loud activities on your property are affecting the quality of life of your neighbors.”

This year, from January to October, the LASD has replied to 1,299 loud noise grievances.

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