Dress code to reduce risk?
 

At our house we've been having trouble with people coming to parties and either stealing from the house (ipods, laptops, etc.)damaging property or provoking fights and making it a dangerous situation like bringing weapons. This week it got so out of control we had to call the police. Many come from a local community college but the majority find a way to sneak into our yard from the woods behind out house. More often than not they are dressed the same baggy clothes, oversized shirts, bling-bling, do-rags,bandannas, throwback jerseys etc. People trying to dress like gangstas essentially. This isn't a racial thing whatsoever because we galdy admit people to our parties no matter what their color, it just seems white, black, hispanic whatever people who dress this way usual bring trouble to the party.

My suggestion to the chapter was to establish a dresscode barring people from our parties who dress in this manner just like alot of bars around here. But we're are afraid of being deemed racist for prohibiting a style that is closely related to the black community. I've researched this dresscode at bars online and it seems to have mixed feelings. We're in no means a racist house we have a very diverse group of guys here but we just want to keep the wrong crowd out. My mentality on the subject is if you dress like a criminal (which i feel the hip-hop/gansta image represents) you should be expected to be treated like one.

Do you think that carrying somthing like this out would get our chapter in trouble for discrimination or feel any repercussions from an IFC or somthing plus would this make us look like a racist house? And keep in mind we would hold EVERYONE up to this standard no matter what race.

I appreciate any suggestions and comments you can provide

Right or wrong, it would make you look racist.

Have closed parties and hire security instead.

ETA: Please don't argue why it's not racist, that's not the point. You asked a question and I've answered it and given an alternative. :)

wow. sigh, im gonna feed the troll a little.

i agree with Sen. have closed parties, hire a bouncer to do pat downs and what not at the door. i think the mood of your parties may change but do what you have to do.

p.s. thieves dress all sorts of ways. im interested to know what your dress code would look like.

OK, even if they sneak into your yard, how in the world do they get into your house? (I assume you don't have laptops laying around outside) You should have brothers posted at every entrance and they should keep people out that you don't know. If you are letting every idiot on earth into your house, you're kind of bringing this on yourselves and dress has NOTHING to do with it. If your school is too big to know everyone, do as Sen said and change to closed parties, with a guest list. Everyone has to show their student ID and anyone not from your college has to be accompanied by a brother.

**SMH at the concept of having to explain this**

1. Closed party. Invite only.
2. Security/bouncers/etc.
3. Register the party with campus if necessary.
4. Put personal stuff away.
5. No one upstairs or in bedrooms.
6. If you really want to, get a metal detector wand thingie. If you hire security, they might have that option.
7. Use wristbands.

Fence the backyard.

Why don't you do what every fraternity I have ever been to does...any girl can enter the party, but there is at least one brother posted at the door with a list of guys that can enter the party. If a guy claims to know somebody, tell him to call that brother and the active can come and let the guy in. That way, even if one of your "criminals" comes in, a brother is accountable for making sure he behaves himself the whole night. It's pretty simple.

why don't you put personal stuff in brothers bed rooms and have a lock on the rooms. All the fraternities when I was in school had locks on the rooms downstairs, that were locked during parties.

Where the hell do you live?


I agree with your proposal, however. Enforce bar attire. I thought that was kind of standard, but if it's not, than enforce it.

Or make party lists. We do this (as do every other fraternity at the UofA...required) and it significantly slows unwanted people from coming in.

i appreciate the feedback...the dresscode was a reactionary idea without alot of thinking. Last night we had the same group of people come to our house when we weren't having a party and stood in our parkinglot. When they were asked to leave they told us they had guns and, "Didn't give a fuck what we said." One of our brother's car had a window punched out and by the time the police came the guys ran away. I guess when we kicked these guys out the other night we were messing with members of a gang. So now our house is on lockdown, no parties, nothing to give these people an excuse to come near our property. And as for a fence...we have a small wire one that is constantly torn down by people coming through the back and our landlord refuses to pay for a privacy fence and with a house as small as ours it's nearly impossible to afford a quality fence with our limited funds. We've just moved into this new house and are working on managing the risk

No offense, but you guys really need to get some more law/business-savvy alumni to spearhead your premises management. Contact your HQ about starting a house corporation right away. Even if you're just renting, this is something you really can't afford to be without.

Was this house a "the only thing available" type thing or a bargain basement deal or what? Because it doesn't sound like the yard-crashers just thought of that concept yesterday. Were there students in it before you?

Even if you do change your dress code, what are you going to do if the same sketchy people come by dressed in a polo and khakis?

IMO, anyone who doesn't have their bedroom doors locked during a party can't complain if any of their property was stolen.

A guest list/showing a student ID with security is the way to go. This is standard at my school for registered parties. I don't know what your school's social policy is like, but if your chapter is having unregistered (illegal) parties, you can't very well hire security and expect not to get caught.

Since we're a young chapter we have little alumni involvement and very little financial contribution because our alumni are just starting families so we had to negotiate moving from our old house that held 10 guys to this new one that houses over thirty. The house rent has had fraternities in it since the 70's but over the past few years they've only lasted two years or so because of drug problems and FIGHTS. The fraternity before us was known as a fighter house but i feel it is is the house itself. (alot of people call it a curse) but since it is the first house on fraternity row it's the first place all the random people are going to stop on their drunken walks down the row. Also alot of people that aren't college students and like to start these fights dont even know that the old fighter fraternity moved out and think we're the same people.

We've created a new risk management protocol over a long meeting on sunday and i think we can resolve this problem.