In October, the Waterford Police Department, in conjunction with Waterford Youth Services,
A few months into the program, there have been some tangible results. In the past month alone, Waterford Police have found and stopped two underage drinking parties in town.
“It is a deterrent,” Youth Services Director Dani Gorman said. “Any time (the task force has gone out), they’ve almost always successfully caught someone.”
The Task Force
The task force, called the W.A.D.E. Task Force, is composed of six police officers. Members of the force will go out on nights where underage drinking parties are likely.
The officers are in plain clothes and drive in a vehicle that is not a police car. The task force is paid through a grant secured by Waterford Youth Services.
Feb. 11th Incident
On February 11th at 10:15 p.m., Police Officer Steve Whitehead, while conducting neighborhood checks, spotted a group of youths walking to the back of a dark house, according to a police press release. Whitehead followed the youths, and from outside saw youths playing a drinking game inside the home, according to the release.
Whitehead was allowed into the home and confirmed minors were drinking alcohol, according to the release. He also talked to the adult homeowner, who was home but was asleep and did not know about the drinking, according to the release.
A 19-year-old was cited for possession of alcohol by a minor, according to the release.
March 3rd Keg Party
On March 3rd at midnight, task force officers Marc Balestracci and Nicole VanOverloop noticed a large number of vehicles parked along a roadway, and many youths walking to the rear of a home, according to a police press release.
The officers, both in plain clothes, went to the home and saw approximately 120 people, many of them minors, drinking, according to the release. The 120 people were drinking out of a keg and playing beer pong, according to the release.
The adult homeowner was away for the weekend, but police cited the son of the homeowner for permitting alcohol to minors, according to the release. The son said he posted the party on Facebook, and it had grown out of his control, according to the release.
