The Williamstown Police Department (WPD) reported more than twice as many open container incidents in the last three weeks, compared to the same period last year.
Police records reviewed by the Record showed seven reported incidents between Aug. 31 and Sept. 19 of this year, compared with three incidents reported during the same period last year. While the records do not identify any students by name, all of the incidents involved college-aged students or took place in popular locations for parties, like Hoxsey St.
Publicly carrying an open container of alcohol violates a Town bylaw, referred to as the “liquor law” in WPD documents: Chapter 7 of the bylaws establishes a fine for violations between $20 and $200 and states, “No person shall drink or possess in an open or partially consumed container any alcoholic beverages … while on, in or upon any public way, or public place to which the public has a right of access.”
WPD Chief Mike Ziemba said in an interview with the Record that the uptick in reports is not due to sterner enforcement of the law but rather an increase in violations. “We’re noticing it more,” he said. “I think it’s very common with incoming students.”
Ziemba hopes that the WPD can collaborate with the College to prevent further violations. “The last thing we want to do is to have to send someone to court or take an actual official action,” he said. “So we try to educate, and we’ve tried over the last few years to work more with the College.”
Ziemba noted that officers responding to open container incidents may exercise discretion about whether to file a criminal complaint against the offender. While one criminal complaint was filed last September, none were filed in the period reviewed this year. Repeat offenders would likely face legal action, Ziemba noted. “If we have a repeat offense from the same person, then they’re probably going to go to court,” he said.
Dean of the College Gretchen Long reaffirmed the College’s open container policy in an email to the student body on Sept. 5, ahead of the first weekend that most students would be on campus. “We do our best to maintain good relations with our local police and we depend on them for emergencies and safety,” she wrote. “We always strive for a relationship with the Police Department built on respect and de-escalation.”
Director of Campus Safety Services (CSS) Jeff Palmer said that CSS has communicated with WPD on issues including open container enforcement. “WPD and CSS collaborate closely when it comes to safety on campus, especially student safety,” he wrote to the Record. “Representatives from the department and our team met with students living off-campus a few weeks ago to educate them about noise abatement, how to not to block the street and about open container laws in an effort to prevent issues before they arise.”
Palmer added that CSS worked with the Dean’s Office on the email to students about open containers. “CSS’s goal is to make sure students are informed about safe and legal alcohol consumption as well as local ordinances regarding things like open containers,” he wrote. “This is why the messaging regarding open containers went out earlier in the semester from the Dean’s office.”
Ziemba noted that while the WPD has broken up parties, the department does not intend to eliminate parties on campus. “We’re not looking to completely stymie college students from, you know, interacting and having parties or whatever it is that they want to do,” he said. “We can’t allow it on public ways.”
Hadley Levenson contributed reporting.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that WPD had issued twice as many citations over this period. They have not issued citations, but rather reported incidents. This article was updated on Oct. 1, 2025 at 1:35 a.m. to reflect this change.
