Police response at Chelsea celebration raises questions
Toolbox
By Thatcher Moats Times Argus Staff - Published: August 1, 2009
CHELSEA – The Chelsea Volunteer Fire Department's 125th anniversary celebration a week ago began well but ended on a sour note, according to Chelsea Deputy Fire Chief John Upham.
There was a parade, food, fireworks, music and dancing at the event, which ran in the afternoon and carried on into the night.
"You could not have asked for a better day," said Upham this week.
But a police response to a report of underage drinking — which resulted in an officer allegedly being assaulted — left Upham and other members of the fire department feeling the police response tainted what would have been remembered as a delightful day.
"I think most of the department feels it was an overreaction on the part of the officers there and it probably could have been dealt with in a much better manner," said Upham.
"This is what people are talking about," he added. "Not about I don't know how many hundreds of people walking around all day with smiles on their faces."
Upham was hesitant to say exactly how police should have reacted, but he emphasized that the number of officers that responded seemed like overkill and had a chilling effect on the festivities.
"It certainly slowed it down after that," he said.
He said the fire department organized the celebration but did not provide alcohol, adding that the fire department's reputation has been damaged as a result of the incident.
"Had we had the option to diffuse the situation before law enforcement had got there, any problem would have gone away," Upham said.
Orange County Sheriff Bill Bohnyak said the police response was typical.
"It was the standardized way we respond to possible underage drinking," he said.
Bohnyak said he got a report from his office at about 8 p.m. that there was possible underage drinking, so he activated the Orange County START team, which stands for Stop Teen Alcohol Risk Team.
The START team is composed of officers who have signed up to be on the team and have undergone specific training on how to respond to underage drinking.
Only about five officers from the Orange County team were available, so Bohnyak asked the Washington County START team to respond.
A total of about 10 or 12 police officers, from the Vermont State Police, the Washington and Orange County sheriff's departments, and the police departments in Barre City, Barre Town, Northfield and Berlin, ended up responding to the scene, said Bohnyak.
Police issued five tickets to underage drinkers, one citation for driving under the influence of alcohol, and arrested William Phelps, 24, of Chelsea, for alleged disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and assault on a police officer, said Bohnyak.
Bohnyak said the standard response to a party of 50 to 100 people is five to 10 officers. Police estimated they would find 150 to 200 people at the Chelsea event, said Bohnyak.
"We guessed there were 150 to 200 people, so having 10 to 12 officers respond was more than appropriate," he said.
START teams exist in each Vermont county and — as the name suggests – are geared toward stopping teen drinking. Part of the reason a group of officers respond to reports of underage drinking parties is to keep kids safe by preventing them from fleeing, said Bohnyak.
But Upham said last Saturday's event didn't fit the profile of a teen drinking party.
"This was not a high school party taking place in Groton out in the woods…this was a strictly controlled event and there were apparently a few minors who should have known better but didn't," said Upham.
Despite their differences, both Bohnyak and Upham also had words of praise for the different agencies involved in the incident. Upham said the police officers he interacted with were perfectly professional, and Bohnyak said the fire department was completely cooperative.
Still, Upham thinks a good event won't be remembered for the positive things that took place.
"It's our reputation, and we put on a class-act performance," he said, "and that's the part people aren't talking about."
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