The parents of a Sixteen-year-old young man agreed to host a Spring Bash/ Birthday Party in the backyard of their residence located in Wheatley Heights, Long Island, New York 11798 for their son and his friends. After reluctantly agreeing to host the event their home their concerns about safety, underage drinking, uninvited guests and property damage slowly began to surface.
Bill Sr. and Bill Jr. met with the family approximately a week before the party and discussed the event and their concerns. We asked that their son be present at the meeting so we could ask him about his expectations and attempt to get a feel for the party and his guests from his perspective. Based on the meeting with both the parents we would be in a better position to make the appropriate security recommendations. In addition, we fully discussed the parents on the Suffolk County Social Hosting Law and advised them of the responsibilities and liabilities concerning the law. We provided them with a copy of the law as well.
We agreed to supply five (5) security officers for the event. The expected number teenagers from the age of 15 to 19 would be 150 to 200 hundred. Alcohol would not be provided or allowed on property. A disc jockey would provide entertainment and parents would provide food. All pack packs would be searched for alcohol and weapons prior to entry. The party would start at 7:30 pm and end at 1130 pm. Parents of party goers were encouraged to drop off and pick up their children.
With that being said, let’s get to the truth concerning teenagers and parties. Here is the cold hard truth. Teenagers and young adults will………….
- Sneak booze on to your property and they will drink a lot very fast.
- Sneak marijuana on to your property and smoke it without regard of the law.
- Argue and start fights at the party.
- Try to leave the party and hang out in the street in front of your house.
- Not have any regard for you landscaping or property. They will stomp on your shrubs and flowers.
- Hook up with each other and have sex anywhere they can.
- Hide booze and other illegal drugs in their cars and attempt to go to their cars and use them.
- Drink prior to arriving at your party.
The behaviors that I described will be attempted even with the best of teenagers. They want to have fun and we as parents want them to have memories, but we need to keep them safe and comply with the law. You can be arrested and there can be civil liability if someone does gets hurt. Our job is to limit the bad behavior, maintain a safe environment and at the same time try to let them have a good time. We do this by assigning trained professionals who have the experience in maintaining order and ensuring that we limit the bad behavior so we can protect them from themselves and at the same time complying with the law.
Before you agree to host a party for teens under the age of twenty-one (21) I urge you to speak with us so we can make recommendations on providing you with security.