Guelph police and University form working group after chaotic homecoming

Guelph police, the University of Guelph, the city, and Guelph General Hospital are forming a ‘homecoming working group’ to address the management of large, unsanctioned gatherings. The initiative follows a chaotic off-campus homecoming party on September 26 that saw massive crowds, vandalism, shoplifting, and individuals throwing objects at officers.

Authorities noted that this year’s event was significantly larger than previous years, citing social media and individuals encouraging disorder as factors that escalated the risks. University President Rene Van Acker stated the incident jeopardized the safety of students and local residents. The new working group will meet regularly to develop recommendations for preventing and responding to such gatherings in the future.