By Jon Gambrell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

OXFORD - Ghetto Fest, a Miami University student block party, will be celebrated today under close police watch.

The block party, which celebrates the end of the spring semester, takes place in the north end of Oxford, in predominantly student rental housing.

Last year, more than 4,000 people came out for Ghetto Fest, many not from the university, police said. A student was stabbed and roughly 300 citations and arrests were made

This year, organizers changed the date and have worked with city officials to try to control the party.

Scott Blevins, student government secretary for off-campus affairs at Miami , said that a meeting was held Sunday with the police chief and residents of the north end.

"I think things are going off smoothly," he said. "I have faith in the students and the police."

Oxford Police Sgt. Jim Squance said that 75 officers from six agencies would monitor the party across Butler County, including mounted patrol and Ohio Department of Public Safety liquor enforcement agents.

"Our philosophy is to just make sure the whole thing is safe," Squance said.

This weekend could also see the first use of Oxford's party ordinance. The new ordinance gives police the power to shut down nuisance parties on private property.

"I think we'll see it used on one or two houses (this weekend)," Blevins said.

"What scares me is what will happen if they try to shut down party after party."

Squance said that police would be "fair but firm."

"We are not in the business of shutting down a tradition," he said. "It is not our objective to shut down every party."

Students in the north end area dubbed the "ghetto" feel the fun is waning, mostly from what they perceive as the city's efforts to slowly choke off the annual block party.

Jennifer Halford, a senior sociology major who lives in a north end house dubbed "Ghetto Superstars," said that she was going to have to "sit on the keg" this year and check IDs.

"I'm going to have to be the bartender and door guy," she said.

Her roommate, Heather Grote , said that the problems weren't solely from students.

"With the police having such a presence, it makes the situation worse," the senior said.

Halford said that because of the increased city pressure, many were going to be using wristbands to mark those over 21.

E-mail jgambrell@fuse.net