"Clearly the riot brought the consideration forward, but things have been coming off of those balconies for a long time," McManis said. "There are people who go out of their way to avoid those areas during times of celebration."

After the riot, the police department talked with major apartment owners about different ways to eliminate the problems caused by balconies, King said.

Other ideas, such as screening in the balconies or removing them, were proposed, but none were as practical or cost-effective as numbering them, McManis said.

Residents of high-rise apartments are divided on this issue. Some students do not think the numbers will affect their lifestyle, while others feel threatened by the added convenience for police.

"I like it because I'm sick of people coming up to the wrong balconies," said Dan Kocse (senior-telecommunications), a resident of Penn Tower, 255 E. Beaver Ave. Penn Tower is the first apartment to voluntarily number its balconies.

"It's like a regular address on a house, so I don't see what the problem is," said John Paul Restubog (graduate-aerospace engineering), who was considering renting a Penn Tower apartment.

But some students oppose the ordinance and do not see a need for its implementation.

"I don't like it because there is no reason for it," said Paul Van Lewen (sophomore-advertising), who lives in Cedarbrook Apartments, 320 E. Beaver Ave. "The doors are already numbered and that should be good enough. The cops should have to come inside to bust a party."