ST. GEORGE — St. George Boulevard was packed late Friday with thousands of teenagers anxious to swap cheap Mardi Gras beads for a kiss.
But because of a new midnight curfew, those under age 18 who waited too long to get off the street found themselves handcuffed and taken to detention, where they were searched and held until a parent or guardian could be contacted.
Tracey Monroe, St. George, who called the center after midnight to retrieve her 14-year-old son and a friend picked up on a curfew violation, said she thought spring-break security efforts went a little overboard.
"It's a good idea, up to a point," said Monroe, who recalled cruising State Street in Salt Lake City as a teenager. "There's nothing for the kids to do here, and I think they (the police) ought to ease up on curfew a little bit."
Mike Plumb, 17, and a 15-year-old cousin were two of several teens arrested by Dixie State College officers on charges of curfew violation and trespassing early Saturday morning.
The boys were skateboarding on campus after midnight, and Plumb was cited for driving without a license. The teens said that a college officer confiscated their skateboards and took a videotape out of one boy's camera. They said one boy in their group was accused of taking drugs after telling officers he was thirsty. They said about 10 officers converged on their group.
Don Reid, Dixie State College chief of police, could not be reached for comment Saturday.
"I'm upset about this. These are good kids who are just having fun," said Plumb's father, Bob, who recently purchased a condo in the St. George area and was spending his first weekend there.
"I can understand there are rules, but there should be a little bit of tolerance. This is ridiculous," he said. "This really leaves a bad taste in my mouth."
Mike Plumb and his cousin were picked up with a group of teens after 1 a.m., long after the midnight curfew kicked in, St. George police spokesman Craig Harding said.
"We have a curfew. How can parents give permission for their child to break the law?" asked Harding. "We know the main idea for these kids is just to have fun, hang out with friends and enjoy the sun. The bulk of these kids really do want to have a good time."
By 3 a.m. Saturday, two days into spring break, 31 juveniles and 24 adults had been processed through the detention center, said Harding. Citations for minors consuming alcohol, retail theft, lewdness, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, driving without a license, trespassing, disorderly conduct, breaking curfew and a variety of other misdemeanors were issued Friday night.
"We agree that we don't arrest bad kids. These are good kids who make mistakes," Harding added.
For the past several years, police officers have kept a high profile in St. George during the spring-break weekend. Officers from several agencies around the state help St. George police by patrolling the city on horseback, bicycle, on foot, by motorcycle and in patrol cars. Police estimate an extra 10,000 to 15,000 teens crowd the city during the three-day weekend.
But not everyone was disappointed in how spring break turned out.
"Spring break is a bomb! There are some fine honeys here," said Granger High School's Rocky Hamilton, 17, who said he is the school's student body president. Hamilton was hanging around the youth detention center with a couple of his buddies to see if another friend was inside. "We're not sure where he is. We lost him a long time ago, but we think he might be in jail."
Hamilton's friend eventually was found — booked into the county jail for investigation of underage drinking.
E-mail: nperkins@redrock.net