INDIANAPOLIS — Police are making a push to track down underage house party organizers around Indianapolis.
The move comes after an increase in house parties at short-term rentals which have led to underage drinking and, often, acts of violence.
"We want to get in front of it before anything happens," said IMPD Ofc. William Young.
Police say they're seeing teens and young adults in Indianapolis renting out a home for a night and organizing BYOB parties.
Young said these rental-home house parties are happening more frequently.
"We don't want to be the party police, but in some of these short-term rental properties, they've had parties where there may be underage drinking and some other things, illegal things, that we do not want and can not tolerate," Young said.
While these underage parties are often a nuisance for neighbors, police say they can turn violent, even deadly.
"It's concerning when we've had reports of shots being fired at some of these short-term rental properties," Young said.
In March, police were called to a house party in Fountain Square after a shooting that claimed the life of 13-year-old Jasmine Rodriguez and injured another teen.
Now, with summer fast approaching, IMPD's nuisance and abatement detectives are asking for the public's help in identifying organizers of these underage parties.
"A little bit of everything," Young said. "We have seen underage drinking, where shots have been fired, neighbors are complaining and we want to get ahead of it over the summer months."
If you have a property rented just for one night, police say consider driving past in the evening to make sure there's nothing out of the ordinary happening. They encourage parents to check in with their kids so it's known where they're going.
Police say neighbors should pay attention to houses that tend to be a constant nuisance, and keep police informed so they can help prevent problems before they pop up.
"We don't want to be the party police, we just want to get in front of it," said Young.
Community meeting scheduled
The Indianapolis Coalition to Address Short Term Rentals (CASTR) will host a conversation about an ordinance that would require a registration of short-term rentals.
It will be held Wednesday May 10 at 6 p.m. at Southeast Community Center, 901 Shelby Street.