23 teens busted for underage drinking, smoking pot

hmm... ive read all of these comments and am right now thinking are the parents responsible? I am 16 years old and have over-protective parents who always try to see what I am doing and are very intrusive. But still they don't know how much partying I really do. Yeah i get drunk all the time. I smoke cigarettes and I can tell you now that about 80% of the teens I know or more smoke weed. Do my parents know the stuff I do? Nope Do parents who care about all those other kids know what they are doing? Usually no Its not the parent's fault. I started drinking and smoking at age 12 and so did a lot of people I know. We for some reason like to break the law. Maybe its just that we have nothing else to do or maybe its that it gives us a break from school. Most of us hate school and a lot of us, like me, are a bit depressed and really school DOES NOT HELP!

I think, as a parent, we all were kids, weren't we? I know all about the incident, there were very few kids doing wrong, the police treated all the kids there, like they were criminals, threatening, pulling tasers, and mainly scaring the hell out of them. This was blown way out of proportion by a bunch of bored police officers, the kids in St. Mary's are very well behaved compared to other, surrounding cities. A few were drinking underage, a few! This is ridiculous, to make all the kids pay the actions of a couple. The house shown on the news, where the event happened, is owned by a very nice, very respectable woman. She was out of town for a couple of days, leaving a very smart, very responsible 17 year old in charge. A little gathering turned into 30 people by word of mouth, and some smug neighbor seen a bunch of kids and called the police. Maybe if St. Marys would focus a bit, just a bit, on activities for teenagers, these gatherings, which I see nothing wrong with, as long as there is no illegal activities going on, wouldn't happen as much. Kids will always hang out. Kids need something to do, there is nothing for them to do. As far as I am concerned, the St. Marys Police owe an apology to the majority of the kids and the families of the kids that they are trying to extort $1000.00 fine from. Kids are not perfect, they will make mistakes, I did, you did, we all did. Come on give them a break. M.M. ST. MARYS, GA.

Officer21.... You can't be more right. I am glad that the time has come for action to be taken. If it were my son I would definately rather him be in jail than in a grave. And I am sure the extra paperwork is easier on you than to have to give parents the news that their child was killed. Good Job.

As a police officer, I sometimes do not think officers do the right thing. They call the parents and send the kids home with them. It is time that the kids are held responsible for their actions. So a little extra work had to be done and a little more paper work for officers but it was the right thing to do. This should be the presidence that is set for future incidents like this. In Georgia at 17 years old they go to jail. This is better than going to a parent's house at 3:00am and telling someone that they have very bad news and that parents' life chages forever.

MTCO5 you are exactly right. And when the kids say I am going to be whereever take 5 minutes and check upo on them. How hard is that. I have a 18, 14, and a 4 year old. My 18 is busy with sports and does not get into trouble. It is all in who they hang with and having too much time on their hands.

Part of being a parent is knowing and being responsible for what our kids are doing. We as parents need to be intrusive and ask our kids about what they are doing and who they will be with. Just because they left the house for the evening doesn't mean we are not responsible for what they are doing. And just because they are 16, 17 or 18 doesn't mean their parents cannot be held responsible for the actions of their kids.

I personally think they need to make more of an effort to bust the kids. Kids are in such a hurry to grow up and parents are too busy with their own parting to pay attention to what the kids are doing. I know it is bad in Southern Pines trailer park especially over here on Teresas ct. The kids here get away with so much and the parents just don't care. I can hear the kids cuss at their parents and see them hitting their parents and yet Kingsland PD does nothing. I see the kids drinking and driving and smoking pot and I call when I see it but the police take their time and when the kids see them they run. Maybe they should try parking down the street and sneeking up on them cause I am tired of the constant teenagers bull over here. I wish I could sell my place and move away from here.

to "dumbpeople"--Thanks for your agreement. I'm "sikuvit" that parents so often get blamed for the actions of their kids-who are old enough to know right from wrong.Just as we couldn't stop them from falling off their bikes and skinning their knees when they were little, we can't stop them from "skinning their knees" when they are older. It's called LIFE, and we all make mistakes. As for our kids: we have to teach them,let them go a bit,hope for the best---and let them know we love them no matter what, even if they did do something stupid. I raised 6 kids and they ALL turned out well despite their mistakes along the way...they knew we loved & supported them just the same.

oh and sikuvit: thank you very much for you words!

ihatecrimials: mr/mrs your so "perfect" .. shut up !! humans make mistakes ..