Mercer Island busts dad for son’s party with alcohol

The City of Mercer Island has busted its first parent who was out of town when their teenage child threw a party with alcohol.

Mercer Island became the first city in the state pass an ordinance to hold parents accountable for these parties, even when parents were not aware the parties were going on.

The ordinance took effect in January, and now the city has its first case.

Mercer Island Police busted up a huge party Feb. 24. The house was full of kids consuming alcohol. Most of the kids got away, but officers did cite four of the teens for minor in possession.

The 16-year-old boy who lives at the home told police he had been drinking. He was cited, and so was his father, who was out of town for the weekend and had no idea his son had thrown a party.

The dad is now facing a $250 fine.

Mercer Island Police Chief Ed Holmes said the city takes underage drinking seriously and decided going after the parents might help.

“It’s frustrating I think for police in any community to run into cases where parents don’t take this matter seriously,” he said. “This is designed in part to force the conversation between parents and their kids.”

Chief Holmes said this first citation is already sparking a lot of conversations in his community and elsewhere.

“I’ve had calls from other police chiefs in surrounding communities asking me about this,” he said. “It’s gotten their ear and their attention.”

Chief Holmes said he hopes people understand the tough stance is to make sure parents understand the dangers of underage drinking.

“My hope is that it’s not seen as just yet another punitive measure by the police department,” he said. “It really is an attempt to be proactive in dealing with a topic that is very serious.”

The parent cited in this case can appeal the fine. His court date hasn’t been set.