Teen Drinking Ends Dance At Arts Barn; Town Evaluating Strategies To Prevent Recurrence

Town officials are discussing ways to improve screening at events that involve teens, and some town officials may request an ordinance change that would provide the police with additional enforcement powers, following a Madison Arts Barn events in March where teens were discovered drinking. 

On March 16, at a "White Out" dance at the Madison Arts Barn, paren chaperones and a hired security guard learned that teens were drinking at the dance and outside in the parking lot. The Madison Police Department was called in, according to police and town officials

Three police officers and a police sergeant responded, police say.

Two teens found to be in possession of alcohol, referred to juvenile review board

Two teens were found to be in possession of alcohol, in violation of state statutes. Those two teens were referred to the town's juvenile review board, Madison police say.

Other intoxicated juveniles were referred to their parents and "various alcohol containers were found around the property as well," said Madison Police Officer Joseph Race, the department spokesman. No criminal charges were filed, he said. 

The juvenile review board requires participation by both the juvenile and the parents, and is a non-criminal process, Race said. The board has to agree to the case and the process is intended for first-time offenders, "unless there are extenuating circumstances." In lieu of criminal charges, "some sort of service is required," Race said. "It keeps the event out of the criminal process." 

Dance ended after police called in

If the juvenile review board declines to hear the case, or if the parents don't participate, then charges would be filed against the juvenile, Race said. 

"Because of what happened, the event [at the Madison Arts Barn] did end at that time," Race said. 

Madison First Selectman Fillmore McPherson said that the Beach & Recreation Department has jurisdiction over the town-owned building, but that the dances are run by a volunteer group, Friends of Madison Youth, along with the town's Madison Youth & Family Services. 

Dance organizers saw "inappropriate conduct and dealt with it" 

After he learned of the incident, McPherson said he spoke with Madison Youth & Family Services Director of Human Services David Melillo. 

"I spoke with him and learned that they did have chaperones and that there was a private security guard," McPherson said. "According to Dave, there were an adequate number of parents chaperoning. However, sometimes it doesn't matter how many chaperones they have, kids will sometimes do inappropriate things." 

McPherson said that the decision to call in police and shut the dance down was a good one. "Because it was being monitored, they saw there was inappropriate conduct and dealt with it," he said.

In town's best interests to provide supervised events for teens

McPherson said he was dismayed to hear about the incident, but that he remains convinced that it is in the town's best interests to try to figure out the best way to provide supervised events for the town's teens. "On the one hand, you can never have too many chaperones," he said. "But, that said, I think there were an adequate number of chaperones and that, in fact, when you have chaperones it's a much safer environment than kids running around in an unsupervised environment."

McPherson said it's common knowledge that teen drinking is a battle the town continues to fight, whether it's at a town-owned building, at the beach, at a bonfire, or at someone's home.  

"Alas, we've seen far too many incidents of that type," he said. 

McPherson remains support of Friends of Madison Youth

McPherson said he also remains supportive of the Friends of Madison Youth and their efforts to provide activities. "They have, with the town in the background, continually monitored events to make sure they can make events as safe as we can reasonably make them," he said. 

"When it comes to the broader issue of alcohol and substance abuse, yes, again, we've heard way too many bad stories about that subject," he said. "Unfortunately, we'll probably never stamp it out, but we have to keep fighting it to make sure kids have the best opportunity we can give them to keep them clean, and that's why the town gives its strong support to the Madison Alcohol and Drug Education [M.A.D.E.] coalition."

Catherine Barden, the coalition coordinator for M.A.D.E. in Madison said it was unfortunate that the event occurred, both for the students who were drinking, and for the other students, who had their night cut short and ruined when the police arrived and shut down the party. 

"Kids ruined what could have been a great event" 

"Both the arts barn and the Madison Police Department acted responsibly and appropriately," Barden said. "That was clear when they made the call, shut down the party, and had parents come pick up the kids. It was a very unfortunate situation, some of the kids ruined what could have been a great event." 

Barden said there was drinking both in the parking lot and in the building. The kids were able to sneak it in, even though they were searched and frisked at the door, she said. 

"Apparently, what we heard, is that some of the boys kept it in their pants, in an area that would not be frisked," she said. "That is very frustrating. But I'm happy to be working with the arts barn and the Madison Police Department to try to make sure it doesn't happen again." 

Passive alcohol sensor may be used at future events

Barden said the answer is not for the town to give up and refuse to let town-owned buildings be used for teen events. She said the Friends of Madison Youth and town officials are working with the police department to increase surveillance at the entrance of these events, including using an passive alcohol sensor device owned by the Madison Police Department. "It's a quick pass, a fair yes or no," she said of the sensor. 

"This is an age group that needs something alcohol-free and fun to do for kids this age," she said. "There is such a shortage of things to do for kids who are this age."  

"The good thing is that the event in March was supervised and these kids were caught. It didn't get to the point where it was a dangerous situation. Hopefully these kids will learn that they won't do it again because there will be consequences," she said, of the teens referred to the juvenile review board, which is coordinated by Madison Youth & Family Services.

Change to local ordinances being considered to provide law enforcement with additional tools

She said that some parents complained that the teens who were intoxicated, but not found actually possessing alcohol by an adult, were released to their parents rather than charged or referred to the juvenile review board. But teens cannot currently be charged for being drunk, Barden said, only for physically possessing alcohol. 

And that is why M.A.D.E. is working on changing local laws "to allow law enforcement to charge an intoxicated minor with possession of alcohol by virtue of the fact that they are drunk," according to the minutes of the February meeting of M.A.D.E. 

"This incident made us think we need to move on it a little sooner," Barden said. 

So-called "social host" law may prove to be model

Barden said she does not know of any other towns in Connecticut that have passed such a local ordinance, but that towns in other states have, and there is a similar precedent in the state's so-called "social host" laws, that prohibits minors from being in possession of alcohol on private property and prohibits anyone from hosting a party where kids are allowed to drink. 

For five years, the Connecticut Coalition to Stop Under-Age Drinking tried to get the social hosting laws passed on the state level, but was not able to, Barden said. Over a period of several years, 50 out of the state's 169 towns passed social host laws on the local level. It later was passed by the legislature and became state law. 

McPherson said he would be interested to hear more about how such an ordinance might work, as long as it didn't conflict with state law. Madison Police Officer Race said the department would "do whatever we're asked to do," when it comes to enforcement.

Stricter laws only part of the puzzle

But passing stricter laws is only part of how to solve this puzzle of how to stop teens from drinking, Barden said. 

"It would be good for the officers to have the proper tools in place," she said. "But we have to have a holistic approach. The minors need to know it is dangerous to drink. And they need to hold their peers responsible. The kids have to say to each other, 'don't mess this up,' and 'it's not appropriate.' And we have to ahve parents talk with their kids about how dangerous underaged drinking is."

As part of this effort, L.I.F.E. (M.A.D.E.'s high school youth group) is now offering in-home parent workshops to Madison parents with kids of all different ages, Barden said.

"The kids come in and make a presentation, then open it up to questions" 

"We just rolled it out last week," Barden said. "A parent hosts the workshop and invites friends and neighbors. It's like the kind of thing you might see with the Pampered Chef. The kids come in and do a presentation, then open it up to questions." 

The first workshop attracted more than 20 parents, Barden said. "It's a nice thing to do at someone's home. It's so much more intimate and comfortable. We're actually drawing in parents that might not attend a community event. And the L.I.F.E. kids absolutely loved doing it." 

Parents who would like to learn more or who would like to host an event can nterested in hosting a workshop please contact Melissa Balletto or Erin Corbett by calling 203-245-5656 or emailing at ballettom@madisonct.org or corbette@madison.k12.ct.us. More information is also available on the M.A.D.E. website.  

"I'd hate to see people not go to future events" at the arts barn

"This was an unfortunate incident. But the problem was detected, something happened and everyone made it home safe," Barden said.

"In anyone's recent memory, we haven't had parties shut down before [at the arts barn]. I'd hate to see people not go to future events.

"These are great community activities and the staff and volunteers just work so hard. They were so upset about this incident. I commend them for reaching out to us and to the police department to try to make sure it doesn't happen again. We're all in this together for the kids," she said. 

Editor's Note: This story was changed at 6:57 a.m. to correct a quote from Catherine Barden.