Tuscon city leaders may be changing policy because of a house party that was hosted by a group of University of Arizona students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Ward 6 Councilman, Steve Kozachik told ABC 15 in Phoenix that after a series of complaints, that the house party will most likely prompt city officials and the Tucson Police Department to put a zero-tolerance for gatherings of this type.
Party host, Jackson Sperbeck, who is due to graduate from the University of Arizona in May, doesn’t feel at all guilty about the party, even with the Coronavirus pandemic. “No one got sick and we cleaned up after,” he said.
Sperbeck insists that he and his friends believe it was a risk worth taking and that they “took precautions,” such as wiping down surfaces such as counters with Clorox wipes and making sure that no one shared bottles.
Councilman Kozachik, however, is not willing to put other members of the community at risk and has been in touch with the City Manager and the Tucson Chief of Police.
Currently, the city has an existing “red tag ordinance,” which deems any gathering of five or more people that disturbs others will result in a fine of $500 per person – even when the gathering is held on private property.
Councilman Kozachik says that the City of Tucson and law enforcement officers will use the ordinance as a way to curb future incidents of this type in the interest of public health.
A press release outlining the details of the order is expected to be released sometime later this week.
