Avon and Somerset police received more than 600 reports of Covid breaches over the weekend.
The "most significant" one was a party on Friday night (January 15) involving dozens of students in halls on Frogmore Street, Bristol city centre, a force spokesman said.
He added: "Between Friday and Sunday, we had 617 reports of Covid-19 regulation breaches across our force area – of which officers attended 60 per cent.
"We issued a total of 31 fixed penalty notices over the same period."
The previous weekend saw 768 reported breaches. Police attended 57 per cent of those and issued 73 fines.
In the weekend before that, January 1 to 3, there were 390 reported breaches – 53 per cent attended by officers – and 14 fines.
On Monday, police took the rare step of releasing body-worn camera footage to show what officers had to deal with when called to the Frogmore Street party.
Officers found dozens of students partying in the halls, hanging out in corridors and communal areas.
The two organisers of the party, two 19-year-old men, were given fixed penalty fines for breaking Covid-19 laws about hosting gatherings.
The video, which has been blurred by police, shows some students in masks trying to make their way through the corridors and the party guests, who had spilled out of one of the shared flats into corridors and stairways.
A groan can be heard from one group when they see the police approach.
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Chief Insp Justin French, from Avon and Somerset police, said most people are "doing the right thing", but described those attending the party as "reckless".
“It’s hard to believe those involved in this gathering would be so reckless and act without care or thought about the impact their actions will have on the community in which they live," he said.
"This is a deadly virus and rates in Bristol have been rising, which makes their actions even more reprehensible.
"Most people are doing the right thing and staying at home. It's the actions of a few people who are ignoring or bending the rules which is putting everyone at risk.
“We have dedicated patrols in place to respond to breaches of Covid-19 legislation and officers and staff will continue to work round-the-clock to play their part in helping to stop the further spread of this virus."
A spokesperson for the University of Bristol said it was "disappointed" and would "take appropriate disciplinary action as necessary".
They said: "A University of Bristol spokesperson said: “This kind of behaviour is unacceptable. As a University we will not hesitate to take action against those who disregard the rules.
“It must be stressed that the vast majority of our students have behaved impeccably since the start of this academic year and have followed Government and university guidance around social distancing and keeping to their living circles."
The release of the police video of the incident on Friday night came as the Mayor of Bristol praised students for their efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19.
In an open letter signed by Marvin Rees and his deputy Asher Craig, the mayor also referenced "some media" for criticising students, "occasionally with little or no basis".
