Cape Coral Police bust teen party hosted by 25-year-old and crack down on teen crime this summer

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—The Cape Coral Police Department says officers busted a house party over the weekend with several teenagers inside, but the host was a 25-year-old man.

Public Affairs Officer Mercedes Simonds says the party raised serious concerns. She says it's a huge red flag to see 15, 16, and 17-year-old girls at a house party hosted by a 25-year-old man.

"The intentions are obviously not good behind it," Simonds said.

Police say these parties are common among teenagers in the summer. The department's new juvenile task force is working to help make good decisions while out of the classroom.

Community Services Bureau Sgt. Joseph Zalenski says the task force helps officers stay connected with students while they aren't in the classrooms every day. The task force works with the Department of Juvenile Justice, checks in on at-risk youth, and handles calls involving juveniles.

"In the summertime, there's not that daily check-in that you would see with the SRO, so we're trying to create those opportunities to have that check-in, so we can say, 'Hey, are you okay?'" Zalenski said.

Zalenski says school resource officers aren't taking a break just because school is out for the summer. He says the relationship between officers and students is especially important in the summer when juvenile crime typically spikes.

"The SROs are not a 180-day job; it's a 365 job, and those are our kids," Zalenski said.

Zalenski says students are told from a very young age to make good decisions, and officers are there to reinforce that. He hopes the task force prevents bad decisions, adding that if a student or parent needs help this summer, the department has resources available and encourages them to reach out.