Crime & Safety
Homeowner Cited After Cops Bust Up Underage Party
The boisterous get-together drew the attention of Chesterfield Police after a neighbor called in a noise complaint.
Chesterfield Police cited a homeowner last week for allowing several underage individuals to drink alcohol during a party at his home.
A noise complaint from a neighborhood on the evening of May 25 prompted officers to visit the residence in the 2000 block of Winterhaven Court. Police said they found three 20-year-old males who were in possession of alcohol.
The 49-year-old homeowner was present at the time, police said, and he was cited under Chesterfield's "social hosting" law.
The law, passed by the city council in 2012, holds homeowners responsible if there is any underage drinking on their property, whether they are aware of it or not.
The exact punishment in each case is determined by a judge, but its considered a peace disturbance violation, which allows for a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail.
At the time the law was passed, proponents said it would help fight underage alcohol abuse while enabling law enforcement to clearly hold parents and other adults responsible if a party spirals out of control.
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