Vail already planning for a busy Fourth of July
Last year's 10:30 p.m. curfew helped cut down on juvenile delinquency
Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily archive
Vail’s Independence Day celebrations have always attracted kids, but when teens started gathering by the hundreds, climbing the town’s light poles, jumping into Gore Creek and harassing families trying to enjoy the village core, the Town Council knew something had to be done.
In addition to those hijinks, “complaints regarding underage drinking, drug use, and disorderly behavior were prevalent, often exacerbated by the absence of parental supervision, as many parents are located in the Denver area rather than in Vail,” according to the Vail Police Department.
Last year, a curfew was initiated for guests under 18, along with several other new measures, including bolstered law enforcement presence at key locations and the utilization of advanced surveillance technologies in high-traffic areas.
“Moreover, we conducted an outreach campaign to Denver schools to educate juveniles and parents about accountability,” the Vail Police Operations Commander Christopher Botkins told the Vail Town Council in a recent memo. “The result of these enhanced actions was a great success.”
Botkins said that while crowds were still large, enforcement actions were limited, and the overall impact on the town was minimized.
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With that in mind, the Vail Police Department plans to implement the same tactics to ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday this year.
That includes a zero-tolerance policy this year, which means there will be no warnings for teens engaging in unlawful behavior. Anyone engaging in drinking, drugs and disorderly conduct will be brought to the police department, charged, processed and fingerprinted, and will be held there until a parent shows up.
If parents or guardians don’t show up to pick up those youth offenders, Vail Police plans to notify the state’s Department of Human Services.
The parents will also face penalties for leaving kids under 18 unaccompanied by an adult.
But the police will once again need action from the Vail Town Council to help with the enforcement effort. The department, on Tuesday, will ask the Town Council to pass a resolution instituting the curfew once again.
The curfew is expected to begin at 10:30 p.m. on July 4, lasting through 5 a.m. on July 5, and will make it unlawful for any person under 18 years of age to be or remain upon any public street, sidewalk, alley, parking lot or any public place or right-of-way.
