On a cool night in March 2009, a large party of young people in Country Lake subdivision got out of control.
As the first deputy arrived to help the parents assist the shutdown, shots rang out. A mass exodus ensued. We estimate approximately 300 young people were on the scene.
Three people were shot; 19-year-old Andrew Wells would not live to see another day. From the investigation we learned there were four shooters, and in the chaos we may never know who actually killed Andrew. We still hold out hope we may have some answers one day. How did this happen?
When someone has the good intentions of allowing their child to celebrate after the prom, graduation or a birthday, things can get out of hand.
Working the street as law enforcement does, we see more luck that things didn’t go bad than we see the worst case scenario. But I can tell you from my experience that these parties get out of control fast.
With the age of cell phones and social media, news of parties spreads like a wildfire. We see time and time again people show up uninvited. The party grows. Drugs, alcohol, rival schools, and sometimes rival gangs can bring unintended consequences.
In neighborhoods, the party spills over onto the neighbor’s property. Streets become clogged with parked autos. The calls start coming into 911. When law enforcement arrives, the kids run in all directions. We never know how many may still be out there as they scattered at the time of our arrival that didn’t make it somewhere safely.
Young people jump into their cars, possibly being an impaired driver, and speed away from the scene. We will not be able to contain them all. Nobody is going to snitch to the officers. Not even when someone dies.
Graduation night is always the biggest party night. For those parents that conveniently turn a blind eye, or worse, voluntarily host the party that has minors consuming alcohol, be warned.
In 2014 at my urging, the Fayette County Board of Commissioners passed the county’s first social hosting ordinance. Section 12-10 states a social host shall mean any person who is in legal and actual control of any location where a gathering takes place. A gathering shall mean three or more non-family members, at least one of whom is under the age of 21 years old. It shall be unlawful for any social host to allow any gathering where one or more persons attending such gathering is charged with a violation of any provisions of O.C.G.A § 3-3-23 (Minor in Possession of Alcohol).
Why do we need this ordinance? Current laws do not address the situation. This does. I would much rather have social host ordinances as a deterrent or as a first option before we have to step up to our criminal statutes.
I know exactly what it feels like to be a responding officer dealing with disgruntled neighbors because their neighborhood was turned into a frat party. This is our best defense against this danger to our youth. Things can spiral out of control quickly.
Last year I was the first officer on the scene of a Sandy Creek High School after-prom party where brass casings from 9mm and .45ACP rounds littered the street. Our victims, students, were intoxicated and terrified. Our perpetrators came from what we believe was another party in College Park. Unfortunately, our victims were incapable of identifying our suspects, who were not Sandy Creek students. This could have been terribly worse.
In October, we made our first use of this social host ordinance. Deputies responding to information on a runaway juvenile drove upon a social host party we were unaware of. Before the scene was cleared, two juveniles were transported by EMS to the hospital. One child was found passed out in their own vomit on the lawn. Drugs that were discarded by juveniles as they ran throughout the neighborhood upon deputy’s arrival were recovered. Again, it could have been worse. The host was charged.
I am in my 28th year of law enforcement. My wife and I have raised three sons. I now have a 1-year-old grandson. I know the reality of the dangers our kids are facing and I’ve seen the aftermath. I also know what it’s like to deliver a death notification to a parent.
So if you are thinking, “I know they’re going to drink, so I’m providing a safe place to keep them out of trouble,” are you providing a safe place? Can you guarantee the parents of those minors approve of your decision for their children? Can you prevent illicit drug or sexual abuse that might take place? Do you think you really have their real car keys in custody?
I’ve got plenty of experience to disagree. Do you want to take on the criminal or civil liability of hosting and be the next 6 o’clock news story?
If you can answer yes to these questions and you think the Sheriff’s Office is a party pooper, we just might see you in State Court. I prefer that than to see your home and lawn encircled with crime scene tape.
[Fayette County Sheriff Barry Babb was elected in 2012 to the post of top law enforcement officer in Fayette County.]
