The Southeast Como Improvement Association is holding a meeting tonight to address party houses and other neighborhood safety concerns.

Party houses became a point of contention earlier this month when SECIA used some of its funds to hire off-duty police called buy-back officers. The officers were hired to implement a zero-tolerance policy for parties in the neighborhood. Several neighbors welcomed the measure.

Miriam Must, a Como resident who witnessed partygoers urinating in her yard, said earlier this month that she was glad the community was taking action.

“We should be able to enjoy our homes and our neighborhoods,” Must said.

Joe Russell, longtime Como resident, said he was also pleased with the measures taken by SECIA. He said the zero-tolerance policy is a way of taking positive action to curb the problem.

Students living in the area, such as Ashley Harris, a College of Liberal Arts junior and Como resident, weren’t as satisfied with the policy.

When the policy was implemented, she said, police and community money should focus more on what they can do for residents, not what they can restrict residents from doing.

The meeting tonight will be the first of SECIA’s revived Safety and Livability Committee, reinstated to address neighborhood concerns surrounding party houses and other safety issues.

The focus of the community meeting will be new long-term plans to deal with the party house problems and the effectiveness of the actions already taken by SECIA, such as the zero-tolerance policy.

The meeting will be held at SECIA’s resource center, located at 2010 E. Hennepin Ave., beginning at 7 p.m. SECIA members urge interested neighbors to attend.

Robyn Repya covers the East Bank neighborhoods and welcomes comments at [email protected]