Birmingham police said Wednesday that officers should have acted sooner to shut down a raucous pool party at a home in a residential neighborhood that offered short-term pool rentals.
The Birmingham Police Department is reviewing its procedures to avoid future incidents like Saturday’s party, which reportedly brought more than 100 revelers to the 300 block of Westchester Way.
“Protecting public safety and preserving the quality of life in Birmingham neighborhoods remain top priorities,” said Birmingham police Chief Scott A. Grewe said in a statement posted to social media. “Should an event require intervention in the future, there will be police supervision to ensure the orderly and safe dispersal of attendees.”
City officials said the homeowner rented the pool in the yard to a third party, who then rented it out for the weekend gathering. Police said this “emerging type of residential rental activity” violates zoning regulations regarding single-family residences.
The traffic for the party blocked nearby streets while neighbors called police at least a dozen times to complain, according to media reports.
City Manager Jana Ecker previously said police shut the party down when the noise exceeded allowable levels.
“While officers shut the party down and issued multiple citations, the department acknowledges the party should have been shut down earlier,” Grewe said in the online post.
City officials said the property owner and the person who rented the pool and hosted the event are among the individuals who have been cited.
Attendees were seen walking around the neighborhood while intoxicated and dancing in a highly sexualized manner, neighbors told WDIV-TV.
“We recognize the disruption this incident caused for neighboring residents and are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the event while reviewing procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future,” the chief said.
The city’s Commission and Planning boards met Monday and proposed an update to the city’s zoning laws, though City Manager Jana Ecker said Saturday’s incident was not connected to typical short-term rentals like those offered by Airbnb or Vrbo.
“It was the rental of the pool to a third party. It was advertised on a website as a commercial use and said you can rent out the pool, and here’s the charge,” she said during the meeting.
The city is now working to “strengthen coordination and establish procedures that support timely and effective enforcement of the City’s zoning regulations by the City Building Official,” the city said on its website.
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Big Birmingham pool party should have been shut down sooner, police say
Reporting by Max Reinhart, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Max Reinhart, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
