A typical weekend for a Marin teen goes something like this:
Some brave soul decides to open his house to countless strangers. As these teens become more and more intoxicated, the house slowly gets louder and louder. Eventually, police show up and the party is over. The night moves on, the cops seem to have done their job of protecting the citizens of Marin County.
But by busting a teen party, are police really protecting us – or are they simply creating another problem, one that is arguably much more dangerous?
As shouts of “Cops!” fill the house, the dozens of licensed teens inside immediately panic, perhaps thinking of the consequences of getting “rapped” at a party. Many sprint out side doors in an attempt to flee, while others file past policemen wielding flashlights, most of whom make no attempt to stop all but the most obviously drunk partygoers.
The problem, however, is not those who are severely intoxicated, but those who are sober enough to slip by. By allowing most of the drunken teens to leave a party, the chances are very high that one of these teens will get behind the wheel of a car.
This is an issue that is much worse than a house party in which teens may be drunk, but also contained in a relatively safe environment.
I understand that the police are responsible for breaking up parties that they see and for responding to noise complaints from angry neighbors. I am also not condoning underage drinking, which is obviously a serious concern in Marin.
But I am saying that cops must do a better job of busting parties in a way that keeps all residents of Marin safe, not just the angry neighbors.
The recent situation of a Redwood student is the perfect example of how the police should act when breaking up parties.
The teen was sitting in his car preparing to drive away when a cop came to his window. The cop unassumingly asked if he was driving tonight, and when the teen answered yes, asked if he was drunk.
The teenager admitted that he was and the cop thanked him for being truthful. The boy’s mother was called and a potentially dangerous situation was defused without the law being involved and the teen’s immediate future being ruined.
More cases such as this would establish a trusting relationship between Marin police and Marin teens. Cops should not be the enemy, and yet, so often they are perceived as such. More trust between teens and the law would only make life easier for both.
