Officers from the Kirkland Police Department and the King County Sheriff’s Office arrested 24 people for underage drinking at a party in the city’s Lakeview neighborhood near Yarrow Bay early Sunday morning, June 22. An additional arrest was made for furnishing liquor to minors. The arrests were made under a “Party Patrol” initiative by law enforcement agencies across the state to curb teenage drinking during graduation season.

Police were initially called to investigate a disturbance at 4328 Lake Washington Boulevard at around 1:06 a.m., according to a police incident report. When the officer arrived, he noticed nearly two dozen intoxicated youths walking out of a residential party. KPD Lt. Brad Gilmore said five renters were hosting the party and initially refused police entry until a search warrant was obtained several hours later.

“We don’t normally have this many arrests,” he said. “(But) every summer it’s the same thing: the drinking problems, kids getting out of school, parents are out of town.”

The five hosts were all charged with furnishing alcohol to minors, a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to maximum of $5,000 and a year in jail.

King Co. Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. John Urquhart said three kegs of beer were removed by the State Liquor Control Board for investigation. He said detectives would determine from whom they were purchased and determine the vendor’s liability.

The arrests bring the total number of arrests for the “Party Patrol” task force to well over 200 for the graduation period.