SPHS Prom: Parties and Precautions

While several  (SPHS) students we talked to Wednesday are going to be hitting up iHop after the at Universal Studios Saturday, some say they’ll also be taking advantage of all the local parties.

“There are 28 proms Saturday night, so there are a lot of after-parties,” said junior Mekayla Melahouris. “My mom’s friend is making us breakfast afterwards and then we are going to a party in North Hollywood.”

Calling this “a special occasion,” Melahouris said this is not a typical Saturday night out. There will be no parents at the rented venue in North Hollywood, she said, but there will be security guards.

Although Chief Joseph Payne said the department won’t be doing anything out of the ordinary to patrol parties this weekend, he did reiterated to all supervisors Wednesday that he wants a zero tolerance policy on teen parties where alcohol is being consumed or possessed.

“This goes to the general possession of alcohol. To possess, consume or have any detectable amount of alcohol in their system can result in a one-year suspension of a driving privilege, as well as criminal penalties,” Payne said. “We will also target adults who facilitate this behavior.”

The police department will also pay close attention Saturday to teens that are driving with alcohol in their system and other offenses by provisionally licensed drivers, he said.

SPHS teacher and prom coordinator, James Jontz, said the school works in conjunction with The Event Group to plan dances like prom and homecoming.  Together, they began planning for this particular event two years ago. The school pays the group a specific amount of money per person and promises that it will sell at least 500 tickets. 

“The Event Group works with the venue, DJ and photographers. They take care of all paperwork and insurance,” Jontz said. "They take very good care of things usually. There will be private security at the entrance and exit, so it will be only our students at the event.”

More on Patch: Top Five Ways to Score a Date to Prom