Carbon County Sheriff’s Office Press Release
After reviewing the comments, it is apparent that several people do not understand the gravity of this incident. The drugs seized at the scene were not just marijuana. In addition to marijuana, seized items consisted of ecstasy, prescription amphetamine and unidentified crushed pills among many items of paraphernalia.
In recent years the incidents of assaults, injuries, accidents alcohol poisoning and sexual assault stemming from the graduation parties have risen.
Many have also commented about prior graduation parties and question why they are not handled the same way they were years ago.
Times have changed. Many more restrictions and expectations have been placed on law enforcement in recent years. No longer can the Sheriff’s Office take on the liability of facilitating the illegal consumption at the graduation party, and we would never have consented to illegal drug use.
Several people have voiced dismay about money Carbon County has spent on other projects rather than a youth center. In regard to graduation night, chaperoned alcohol free activities are provided for the students.
The county can also not afford a lawsuit because a person was injured or died as a result of being at the graduation party if we were made aware of it and ignored or even contained the party. The Sheriff’s Office would be found at fault because we allowed and in the eyes of a jury, contributed to the event.
There are a few posts complaining that some people were not cited, while others were. we would like to clarify this. Juvenile Courts and District Courts are not set up to receive citations, so a person under 18 would be referred to juvenile court without being issued a citation. This does not mean they are not being charged, they just don’t receive a paper citation, rather they receive a letter from the court ordering them to appear before the court at a later time. This also applies to a few instances where an adult was charged with a class A misdemeanor or a felony. Citations are generally only used for traffic violations and adult class B and class C criminal charges.
We would much rather our young adults celebrate graduation in a responsible drug and alcohol free environment. But understand, if you should choose to attend a party like we had this year and we are made aware of it, we can no longer turn a blind eye and allow it to continue. There is too much liability and too much concern for your safety. Should you choose to act like an adult and have adult parties, expect to be held accountable like an adult.
We would much rather see our youth have a good time, go home safe, and not feel the need to mix drugs and alcohol into the party. We do care about our community and the future of it’s residents. So, have fun, enjoys the great things this county has to offer, but please do them legally and with respect so we don’t need to become involved.
