LaPorte County to Increase Patrols during Prom Season

 
 

Prom season is gearing up so the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department and the LaPorte County DUI Task Force will increase enforcement and patrols around prom and post-prom sites this spring.

Proms for Marquette, New Prairie, South Central and Westville schools in LaPorte County begin the weekend of April 27 and continue through May 18 and it’s the goal of law enforcement to deter alcohol use and eliminate alcohol related crashes among prom attendees.

The DUI Taskforce will saturate the areas around each prom and post-prom site in an effort to deter drug and alcohol use. There will be zero tolerance toward the consumption and possession of alcohol and those who provide alcohol to minors. Those who do provide alcoholic beverages to minors will be targeted and arrested.

LaPorte County DUI Taskforce Commander Derek Allen suggests that on prom night, parents secure alcohol in the home, do not rent hotel rooms for prom-goers, request that your child check in throughout the evening, discuss plans with your child, know who your child is going to the prom with, and think about hosting an alcohol-free post-prom party.

LaPorte County Sheriff Michael Mollenhauer was pleased to report that in the last ten years, no prom attendee has been injured or killed in a motor vehicle accident in LaPorte County and it is the goal of the Taskforce to keep it that way.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that annually, one-third of all teen deaths occur during the prom and graduation season.