On Oct. 14, the St. Paul City Council unanimously approved an ordinance making it a crime to host any event where minors can easily possess or drink alcohol. Minneapolis City Councilman Cam Gordon, if re-elected, has indicated he will introduce a similar ordinance for Minneapolis, and he expects it will easily pass in December. Sgt. Paul Schnell of the St. Paul Police Department argued that the need for the law became apparent after âÄúresidents repeatedly complained about disturbances involving large parties put on by college studentsâÄù and said the law âÄúprovides a way to crack down on these parties from an underage drinking standpoint,âÄù according to an earlier Minnesota Daily article. Ordinance crafters need to determine the problem at hand. If itâÄôs large, unruly parties, there is already an unruly assembly ordinance on the books. If itâÄôs underage drinking, there are state laws with such focus. One makes a minorâÄôs consumption of alcohol a misdemeanor crime, another makes providing alcohol to minors a potential felony. Minneapolis doesnâÄôt need more laws. It needs to better enforce the ones already in existence. In effect, this ordinance just makes party enforcement more lucrative for Minneapolis and criminalizes the otherwise legal, sober socialization of minors with those over the age of 21 as long as alcohol is in the house (a reality for many college pads). Rather than impose ludicrous additional regulations on the partying population of Minneapolis, our police should more consistently enforce the legal status quo.