More than $88,000 in fines handed out over homecoming weekend in Kingston, Ont.

Kingston police and bylaw officers handed out more than $88,000 in fines during homecoming celebrations this past weekend for nuisance parties and noise.

The annual Queen's University homecoming celebrations draw thousands of students and alumni to Kingston's University District. The city's University District Safety Initiative, which empowers to police to declare "nuisance parties" and order people to disperse, was in effect all weekend and remains so until Nov. 1.

Kingston police declared a nuisance party on Aberdeen Street from Johnson to Earl just after 1 p.m. on Saturday. Traffic to the area was immediately restricted and attendees were ordered to disperse or be liable to penalties. The nuisance party declaration was lifted by 4 p.m.

Over the course of the weekend, Kingston Bylaw handed out the following fines:

• 2 X $2,000 Hosting a Nuisance Party
• 90 X $500 Failure to Comply with an Order to Leave Premises
• 16 X $200 Amplified Sound
• 27 X $200 Failure to Comply with Signs

Kingston police issued two criminal charges for obstructing a peace officer, 134 open liquor tickets, nine tickets for underage drinking, three for public intoxication and one for disobeying a don't walk signal. Police also handed out 61 fines of $500 each for failing to comply with an order to leave a premises.

Police said in a news release Monday that several fines were handed out to people who gathered at Breakwater Park and Gord Downie Pier, despite signs saying the area is closed.

Breakwater Park and Gord Edgar Downie Pier will continue to be closed to the public nightly from 8 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. this Thursday to Sunday.

"We're disappointed to have had to issue tickets to individuals trespassing at Gord Downie Pier," said Curtis Smith, the city of Kingston's director of licensing and enforcement in the news release from police. "There was blatant disregard for signs prohibiting use of the park. Alcohol plus open water is an incredibly dangerous combination and we put these measures in place to keep people safe."

Last year, bylaw officers handed out more than $44,000 worth of fines during homecoming weekend. Police arrested eight people and laid three criminal charges for impaired driving and weapon possession.