Staff writer
Citations were issued Saturday night to five juveniles charged with consumption of alcohol by minors. Peabody Police Chief Bruce Burke said charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia also are pending against one of the underage partiers.
As unlikely a spot as it might seem for an end-of-summer party, land on which Peabody’s sewer ponds sit was the site of the gathering of young people.
Apparently unknown to them, Peabody Police patrol city sewer ponds at some point after dark every night.
The sewer ponds are situated two miles east of Peabody on a long gravel access road going east from Old Mill Rd. The partiers were trapped at the ponds as soon as police turned onto the access road.
“Kind of a silly place to have a party, really,” Burke said. “There is only one road in and out once you turn off of Old Mill Rd. and head to the ponds. It is not like there was a separate exit route they could take to leave.”
There were other young people attending the party and they were checked by police for evidence of alcohol consumption.
“They all checked out OK,” Burke said. “The officers allowed them to drive the kids home who had been drinking. Since citations were issued the drinkers will have to appear in court.”
Burke also said that none of the juveniles in attendance were willing to say who had purchased the alcohol.