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Spring Break Heads Up
A few years ago some enterprising individual did a T-Shirt for Spring Break with a slogan to the effect of "Come on Vacation, Leave on Probation". It doesn't have to be that way and knowledge is the key. First, it is important to realize that little things lead to big things. Just ask the kid who was sitting on the curb with his legs out into the street and got his feet run over by a passing car. Such a little thing, staying out of the roadway. And there was the 15 year old girl in the motel room with 6 guys, drunk and passed out. Curfew would have prevented this. When we called mom, she was adamant that her daughter was not in St. George, that she was sleeping over at a friend's house in West Jordan. Mom called us 15 minutes later and came down and got her daughter. And there are many more examples of big things that could have been prevented if the little things had been taken care of. With that perspective, here are some of the typical violations that we will be concentrating on that can be precursors to criminal behavior and safety problems:
- Curfew. Midnight for everyone under 18 years of age. Period. Unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian (not big brother or sister, it must be a legal guardian). And they can't be in any public place, including driving on the street, in restaurants, etc. If they work or have been at a church or scholastic event that takes them past curfew, they are allowed to go directly home. There's usually nothing that is done after curfew that can't be done before. Not only does this prevent crimes, it's a safety issue as well. Please require your kids to be in by curfew and above all, know where they are and what they are doing.
- Pedestrian in the roadway. It is illegal to be in the road if there is an adjacent sidewalk. And it's illegal and unsafe to stop the car to allow someone to get in. We find that crashes occur when someone steps off the curb to talk with or get in or out of a car on St. George Blvd. The other cars see the green and plan on starting but...and the crash happens. Another safety issue.
- Tobacco Age is 19. Not "18 to smoke and 19 to buy" as the saying goes, perpetuated by 18 year olds who want to smoke a year early. This would mean that a 19 year old would have to hang around with an 18 year old for a year to buy them smokes. Doesn't make sense.
- Alcohol laws. It is illegal for a person to possess, consume or attempt to purchase alcohol under the age of 21. And it is likewise illegal for someone of age to supply alcohol or to sell to those under age. These persons will be taken to jail for this.
- Open container and DUI. It is illegal to have an open alcohol container in the passenger area of the vehicle or to be in actual physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The legal limit is .08 in Utah. Under the age of 21, the limit is .00. No detectable amount while driving.
- Sound Truck. It is illegal to have the stereo turned up so loud as to be heard more than 200 feet. A third of a city block. This is a safety problem. You diminish your ability to hear things that would normally allow you to avoid a collision or to yield to an emergency vehicle.
- Loitering. It is illegal to loiter at a business. They call us many times each night on Spring Break about their doors and parking lots clogged with throngs of people and their patrons can't drive in or out. It is illegal to remain more than 5 minutes for any reason unrelated to the business.
- It is also illegal to gather so as to block the sidewalk. This is another safety hazard. People step off the curb and into traffic in an attempt to get around a crowd.
There are also other little things we can do to avoid bigger problems:
- Some find out that the activity they were told about is different when they get there. Don't be afraid to say "No" and leave. Don't be pressured to go to a questionable party just to be with the "in crowd."
- Don't accept an opened drink from anyone. Get your own. And if you leave it to go to the restroom, get another drink. Don't drink from the one that was left unattended.
- Don't be alone. Go with a friend. And tell someone the answers to these four questions and parents, require these answers:
Where will you be?
Who will you be with?
What will you be doing?
When will you be back?
It's not a parent/child thing and it's not about trust, this is a matter of respect and safety.
- St. George City Noise ordinance states that there will be no noisy activities conducted between the hours of 9 pm and 6 am. This includes parties that disrupt the neighborhood.
Most who come to St. George do so in safety and they have a great time. There are roughly about 10,000 or so that come here. We usually only have to arrest about 250 or so out of all these people over Spring Break. And we've never had a major problem. They are isolated and small. Some minor precautions can make the difference between a great vacation and a sad event. Take time to discuss these tips with your kids. We want them to be safe. We can't prevent everything, but we will be there to help you all we can. Come on vacation, leave the same way, and have fun.
Craig Harding
Public Information Officer
St. George Police Department
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