Story posted Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Teens Charged With Drinking At Busted Party
Park Ridge police charged a 17-year-old Niles boy, a 16-year-old Park Ridge boy, and a 15-year-old Park Ridge girl with consuming alcohol under the city's zero tolerance law.
Officers received reports of a youth problem in the 600 block of North Seminary Avenue at about 10 p.m. Feb. 20. When police arrived, they saw between 30 and 40 teens in the street that all ran as officers approached. Police were able to detain four of them and determined an underage drinking party was allegedly occurring in one of the homes on the street.
Officers tried to speak with occupants of the home, but when they approached, someone turned off all the lights in the house and no one would come to the door. The front yard was strewn with beer cans, police said.
Although no contact could be made that night, police returned the next day to speak to the homeowner. The homeowner allegedly told officers they were not home the evening before.
"The parents were happy we made notification," explained Cmdr. Lou Jogmen.
Contacting homeowners the next day is the department's new approach to underage drinking parties. In several cases in Park Ridge, officers have been greeted by darkened houses and partygoers silently staying indoors until police leave, Jogmen explained.
The new method allows parents to know what happens in their homes when they leave while not infringing on constitutional rights of the house occupants.
Due to the late hour, police informed the four detained teens they could pick up their tickets the next day and released them to their parents at the scene. As of Monday afternoon, one still had not come in to complete the paperwork, Jogmen said.
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