City officials have addressed concerns of overcrowding at local evening parties in Dearborn.

DEARBORN — Most establishments in the city have aimed to implement a family-friendly cultural atmosphere, but every once in a while that image appears to be distorted when alcohol and egos cross paths.

For example, local authorities swarmed the Greenfield Manor Banquet Hall at around 2:00 a.m. on January 1, after a fight involving several attendees interrupted a New Year’s Eve Party. 

The celebration came to an abrupt halt following the altercation that involved several Arab American males as party goers were sent home early, putting a damper to the start of the new year for those who were looking to usher it in with family and friends.  

The incident marked the latest in a string of confrontations that have erupted at various evening parties in the last few years that predominantly involved Arab organizers and attendees. 

Whether the consumption of alcohol is the source of blame remains to be seen. Spectators do seem to believe that it contributes to a hostile environment at these types of functions. 

While several restaurants and lounges in the community do openly serve alcohol along with food and hookah, the banquet halls in Dearborn told The Arab American News that they continue to prohibit drinking on their property in order to maintain a family-friendly atmosphere. 

These Banquet halls are mostly used for weddings, dinners and luncheons, but every once in a while they do host parties. 

Some attendees who frequent local celebrations held at restaurants, lounges and banquets have developed a habbit of pre-drinking before showing up to the venue. Or when they attend an event, they step outside to consume alcohol in their car, most likely purchased at a nearby liquor store. Some may even sneak liquor in. 

This trend has made it challenging for organizers to maintain or guarantee sobriety at their events. 

Hassan Hammoud, a local resident who was at the New Year’s Eve Party at Greenfield Manor, witnessed the commotion first hand and was able to capture parts of the altercation on video. He claimed to have seen both empty and open liquor bottles around several dinner tables. 

In a brief conversation with The Arab American News, management at Greenfield Manor denied that the facility serves alcohol, but said they have occasionally caught guests sneak it in. 

Hammoud, who is a frequent attendee at these types of functions, said that both alcohol and hookah smoking have become more prominent in the Arab nightlife in recent years, usually attracting a rowdier younger crowd rather than families and the elderly. 

“Most of these people will not go to a party if there is no alcohol or argelieh involved,” Hammoud said. “They need to do a better job of hiring extra security and making sure people are not sneaking in liquor.” 

A local event coordinator, who wished to remain anonymous, said venues need to develop methods for singling out the bad apples. Suggestions included limiting attendance to just families and couples and including an advisory against alcohol consumption on the ticket to the party.

“The management and owner has to oversee what’s going on,” said the coordinator. “You have to be cautious of who is coming in and out. If you see something going wrong, you have to take action right then and there. People spend a lot of money on these parties. But it’s still your job to maintain what’s going on in there.”

City officials have also grown weary of venues around town that have frequently hosted overcrowded parties. Establishments that should only host 300 to 400 people are now overfilling by almost double that amount, in violation of several fire and safety codes. 

Once a venue becomes overcrowded, half the battle becomes trying to get out safely. When fights or fires break out at these functions, chaos is sure to ensue as attendees flock to the exits looking for their vehicles, most of which were valet parked. 

“I stopped going to these types of parties all together,” said another local resident on Facebook. “When a fight breaks out, good luck trying to find your car in valet.” 

Dearborn Mayor Jack O’Reilly told The Arab American News that the city has implemented a new law making it mandatory to include the maximum number of occupancy on a lease agreement. If renters violate these laws, it could result in the event being shut down by the city.

 “They have to have a maximum occupancy and the person that’s renting the facility is supposed to know what the limit is,” O’Reilly said.  “I don’t want our people to go in and shut down these events, but we don’t have a choice if they exceed occupancy levels.” 

O’Reilly added that the city is aware of several reoccurring citations at evening parties in Dearborn, including selling alcohol without a liquor license, discharging indoor fireworks and disregarding fire exit guidelines.  

He went on to add that the city could eventually revoke a certificate of occupancy and permanently shut down businesses if laws continue to be disregarded. 

“We imposed new rulings so it could be fair to everybody,” O’Reilly added. “Most of our halls have been willing to implement the new rules and put it in their contracts. The number one job of our city is to protect the health and safety of our residents. We can’t compromise public safety.”