Dalhousie University held a meeting Tuesday night with police, municipal authorities and neighbours to discuss last weekend’s out-of-hand homecoming parties off-campus.
On Saturday, police were called to several drunken parties in the south end of Halifax, that saw hundreds of students fill the residential streets.
READ MORE: Off-campus homecoming party leaves Dalhousie with serious hangover
In total, 23 people were arrested and two alcohol-related fines were handed out.
But the damage to the school’s reputation and relationship with the neighbourhood is harder to quantify.
“My two sons came to my wife and told them that someone was in our driveway … but then when we looked out, it was two girls doing coke in our driveway,” Jan-Mark van der Leest, who lives on Vernon Street, told the crowd.
WATCH: Off-campus Dalhousie parties lead to arrests
Another attendee told officials she felt “frightened for her safety.”
Halifax Regional Police told the meeting they knew about the planned parties the day before it happened. That’s why police and the university initially decided to have two officers patrol the area, although more were later called in.
WATCH: Residents who live in the area where an out-of-control party happened on Saturday were invited to discuss their concerns at a meeting. Global’s Steve Silva reports.
READ MORE: Halifax police stepping up patrols around universities as students head back
“I’m proud of our officers, how they handled the situation. I received a lot of positive feedback,” said Insp. Dean Simmonds.
Officials with the city, police and university all assured residents they want to prevent something similar from ever happening again.
District 7 Coun. Waye Mason, who represents the area, told the meeting he has already met with the mayor and the chief administrative officer of the municipality and they are trying to find ways to increase the penalties and scrutiny on what he calls “troubled properties.”
Florizone said no students have received any penalties yet, won’t talk potential ones. #DalhousieUniversity #Halifax pic.twitter.com/Mm66RRvxUI
— Steve Silva (@SteveCSilva) October 17, 2017