The first of two weekends of partying resulted in a busy Saturday for Kingston Police, as the city responded to Queen’s University students celebrating “fake homecoming,” also known as faux-coming or FOCO.
Just before noon on Saturday, Kingston Police declared its first “nuisance party” on Earl Street between Albert and Collingwood streets — ordering attendees to disperse or face a fine of $2,000.
A second nuisance party was declared just before 2 p.m., on Aberdeen Street, where police say projectiles were being thrown from a residence.
Over the next hour, Frontenac Paramedics responded to an individual who fell off a rooftop and sustained injuries, and Kingston Police made a number of arrests and charges for public intoxication.
The street partying went into the night, with police lifting the final nuisance party declaration just after 11 p.m., saying five fines of $2,000 each had been laid.
It wasn’t just cleaning up after partiers that kept first responders busy Saturday. A collision just after 8 p.m. between a pedestrian and a pickup truck towing a catering trailer resulted in one person going to Kingston General Hospital (KGH) with serious injuries.
Kingston Police says KGH will likely be dealing directly with the victim’s family from now on, and there are no new updates to their current condition.
While one weekend of partying has passed, city staff and first responders will be continuing patrols and monitoring the Queen’s University area.
Saturday’s partying is set to repeat itself next weekend when homecoming celebrations continue in the University District.
Kingston Police have enacted the University District Safety Initiative (UDSI), which will remain in effect until Tuesday, November 1, at 12 p.m.
Police and Kingston Bylaw will be enforcing the initiative city-wide until then, meaning information-sharing between the city, police and the university, as well as changes to how people will be charged for committing specific offences, is in effect.