By Lexi Greenstein, Second Year Anthropology
Operation Beech is a vital system put in place to control noise in student areas by Bristol University.
The University of Bristol have invested £25,000 a year into Avon and Somerset police to patrol around Cotham and Redland until 2am, to govern the disruption caused by loud students. Local residents’ anger is increasing as noise levels are increasing and they have therefore taken serious action for a change.
Bristol University is renowned for its’ party scene and high levels of drug use. This exposure to local residents such as Andrew Waller, who set up the Noise Pages for local residents to report noise complaints, reinforces the negative image that Bristol University already has as a ‘party uni’. The persistent partying may therefore deter other quieter types of people from coming to the University.
The police patrols will, hopefully, discourage disturbance and noise in the early hours of the morning. But, a prestigious University like Bristol University should not have a reputation for its students being nothing but noisy nuisances.
Bristol University students seemed to have forgotten the primary purpose of why they attend university.
With the persistent partying, it seems student’s academic work is very much a secondary priority. I agree that parties and noise indicates sociability amongst students, however the level of noise in the early hours of the morning is uncontrollable. It is impossible to maintain sufficient grades and academic work with the excessive noise levels.
A prestigious University like the University of Bristol should not have a reputation for its students being nothing but noisy nuisances
Police patrols would, therefore, help to balance academic work and sociability for students at the University of Bristol as noise would be stopped at earlier times. In turn, it is likely that there would be an increase in attendance for the majority of students.
Additionally, students perhaps aren’t aware of the extent that lack of sleep, drinking and drugs can affect their academic work.
It is understandable that young adults have an urge to socialise and throw parties. The police patrols aren’t aiming to terminate parties and noise, as university is also a place for meeting new people and socialising; their aim is to control extreme noise at unreasonable times.
With police patrols in place, dangerous situations can be avoided
Less recognised is the fact that a lack of sleep due to noise disruption could also result in mental health issues. With parties comes needless narcotics and alcohol, both of which can pose a threat when consumed excessively, such as in a party setting. Inevitably, alcohol and drugs will be present amongst students however, with police patrols in place, dangerous situations can be avoided.
Loud parties in Cotham and Redland don’t just affect neighbours in surrounding residential areas but also affect University of Bristol students themselves. Police patrols will therefore act as a control for the disruption caused to other people and the self-inflicted problems that come with intense partying.
Featured Image: Unsplash / Kings Church International
Is Operation Beech a necessary step for Bristol University to take?
