OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Osceola County law enforcement will conduct a surge this weekend to crack down on illegal house parties.
Osceola County Sheriff Christopher Blackmon said his department is implementing a zero-tolerance policy in response to an “epidemic” of such events coinciding with the Rolling Loud festival.
This enforcement effort follows incidents of shootings and sexual assaults at these gatherings.
The heightened police presence comes after recent events between March and last weekend, where individuals were shot and killed at parties held in houses across the county.
Sheriff Blackmon announced the arrests of three promoters involved in at least two different parties where fatalities occurred.
Blackmon has warned parents to monitor their teenagers’ activities this weekend as the department addresses the issue.
“We’re tired of our kids being shot,” Sheriff Blackmon said.
The sheriff emphasized that while gatherings following all laws will not face issues, events with “200 teenagers drinking at a house or a parking lot will draw flashing lights.”
He noted that illegal parties are being broken up every weekend.
To bolster the local force, the Florida Highway Patrol is deploying 80 troopers to help stop these parties from happening.
Recent incidents cited by the sheriff include a teen event documented in newly released body camera video that showed images of guns and Jell-O shots.
Authorities have also received reports from a lot of sexual assault victims after attending these parties.
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