For students, having Steve Montgomery come to the door is probably not the highlight of a weekend evening. But for Allston-Brighton residents looking for a good night's sleep, he may be the most welcome sight they see.
As part of an exclusive look into the off-campus policing situation, Heights editors accompanied Montgomery on one of his nightly routes from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. The off-campus community liaison, better known as the "off-campus RA," Montgomery patrols the streets around Boston College each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, looking to keep the neighborhood noise to a dull roar. Whether that entails cautionary warnings issued to students as he drives by, or breaking up parties at residences, Montgomery maintains an important presence in off-campus life - a presence that mediates and often mitigates the interaction between rowdy students, upset neighbors, and local police.
While students may question the source from which Montgomery derives his authority, having him in such a position can also work to students' benefit. A run-in with Montgomery sends students to the dean in cases where they might otherwise find themselves face-to-face with the Boston College Police Department (BCPD) and the Boston Police (BPD).
"My goal is just to let students know that neighbors off campus are being impacted," Montgomery says as we set off from campus in his maroon Ford Explorer. It's 10 p.m. on a Friday night in November and "Weekend BC" is just waking up for a night on the party prowl.
Montgomery acknowledges that tonight might be quieter than usual, however - midterms, he says, do put a damper on the party scene. "I'm generally out between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. although depending on activity, it is sometimes as late as 4 or 5 a.m.," he says. Rain, snow, or bitter cold often keep students in as well, leading to more tranquil evenings.
Contrary to what many students believe, Montgomery is not out to quell all weekend fun - just the "fun" that he deems unnecessarily noisy and disruptive. "It's about keeping the community happy," he says. "The ability to enjoy yourself in your own apartment is contingent upon the happiness of your neighbors. We don't want to mediate or control quality of life, but we do want to all get on the same page as far as noise goes."
2008 Woodie Awards
