Analysis: Technology is making it more difficult for police to handle underage beer drinking parties

It seems that every spring police are called out by reports of underage drinking parties.  What is different in recent years is the impact technology has had on such parties.

In the first place, kids are using text messages to tell others about such parties.  That can produce much bigger crowds--in the case of Friday night's beer party, police estimate as many as 200 kids were involved.

But the most serious impact of texting has been once police officers arrive at the scene.  Kids will text each other, saying the police have arrived.  That means police will have to deal not only with beer drinkers, but with drivers who have been drinking.

After Friday night's party, there was one rollover traffic accident in the scramble that happened after police arrived.  There were also arrests for drunk driving.  Police say texting means responding to a report of a beer party is a lot more difficult nowadays than it was just a few years ago.