Police report few issues after hundreds attend pre-grad party near Vernon

VERNON – Police stopped more than 200 vehicles on Westside Road yesterday evening as hundreds of young people headed to a pre-grad party near the Sugar Loaf forest service road.

A Vernon North Okanagan RCMP press release said police learned of the pre-grad party Sept. 4 and put up a roadblock for five hours on Westside Road near the site. The release says the RCMP is happy to report little to no issues. Police kept the roadblock in place until the party subsided and fully shut down.

Around 90 per cent of vehicles were driven by parents or older siblings dropping students off, the release says.

"Most parents expressed an appreciation for the police presence and were polite and cooperative during their interactions," RCMP Const. Kelly Brett says in the release.

The RCMP is reminding the public to celebrate responsibly, to plan ahead and not to drink and drive.

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