The Pierce County Party Patrol in April shut down three underage parties, including one in Bonney Lake, for a total of more than 50 arrests for minor in possession, driving under the influence or providing a house for an underage party. Most of those arrested were 18 or younger.
Police in Bonney Lake were notified of a possible party April 16 in the 18000 block of 74th Avenue East. Police witnessed several indiviuals who appeared to be underage drinking beer and could smell marijuana.
Police also observed several teens urinating both in the yard and near the lake.
At the house, police observed several minors drinking alcohol and observed more than 100 beer cans, bottles and liquor bottles, as well as a beer pong table and a large bag of marijuana.
Approximately 27 subjects were arrested and transported to the Youth Processing Center.
When police located the person in charge, he said the house belonged to his aunt. She was contacted and told police she had nothing to do with the kids drinking, which the teen confirmed.
Most of the teens were charged with minor in possession of alcohol and several were charged with possession of marijuana.
“Arresting a kid for breaking underage drinking laws is important,” Puyallup Police Sgt. Bob Thompson said in a press release, “but putting good resources into the hands of kids and their parents to prevent risky choices is more important. It’s why we keep doing these patrols.”
After underage youth are arrested by a Party Intervention Patrol, chemical dependency professionals conduct brief screenings and interventions aimed at linking youth with community resources, when needed. Trained volunteers pass information to parents to help them take steps to prevent the youths from drinking again.
Although police aren’t saying specifically where and when, a total of 19 Party Intervention Patrols will take place through this year and early next year.
Before the Party Intervention Patrols were started, an average of eight impaired teenagers died each year in vehicle crashes in Pierce County. One impaired teen driver died in 2010.
Since 2007, Party Intervention Patrol officers have been credited with rescuing a teen suffering from alcohol poisoning who was left in a bath tub at a party, an impaired young driver found unconscious and slumped over the steering wheel in the middle of the road, and an underage girl found walking down railroad tracks after drinking with adults at a nearby bar.
Fourteen law enforcement agencies participate in the project, which is funded by grants from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, the state Department of Social and Health Services, the Puget Sound Educational Service District and the Washington Impaired Driving Council. Pierce County’s Community Connections provides administrative support via the Tacoma-Pierce County DUI and Traffic Safety Task Force. More information about the task force is available at www.piercecountywa.org/dui.
