Douglas County Sheriff's Office prepares for New Year's Eve celebration at Stateline

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is preparing for the upcoming New Year’s Eve celebration at Lake Tahoe starting on Monday, Dec. 31, 2018.

Due to the high volume of celebrants within the Stateline casino core area during this event, U.S. Highway 50 may be closed to vehicle traffic in the evening if necessary for public safety.

If that should occur, vehicle traffic will be diverted around the Stateline casino core area using upper and lower Lake Parkway Drive.

Drivers anticipating traveling through the Stateline casino core area on New Year’s Eve should allow themselves additional time to make it to their destination on time.

Drivers traveling the area in wintertime should always anticipate poor road conditions caused by winter weather. They should have snow tires mounted on their vehicle or carry tire chains/cables with them.

Deputies of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office will be present in the Stateline casino-core area throughout the evening, supplemented by officers and representatives of numerous other law enforcement agencies, including Nevada Highway Patrol, South Lake Tahoe Police Department, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, and California Highway Patrol.

Supporting agencies include the Douglas County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, Douglas County Communications Center, Tahoe-Douglas Fire Department, Cal-Trans and Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT).

Douglas County Sheriff Ron Pierini has directed all deputies to adopt a non-confrontational approach in their contacts with the celebrants. This method of enforcement has been extremely effective in past years.

The goal of the Sheriff’s Office is protecting life and property while at the same time allowing celebrants to enthusiastically ring in the New Year. There are, however, behaviors that will not be tolerated by law enforcement.

Incidents that will most likely result in an arrest include acts that place celebrants or law enforcement officers in jeopardy; including acts of rowdy behavior, fighting, throwing projectiles, vandalism, theft, narcotic violations, severe public drunkenness, possession of or discharge of fireworks, minors consuming or possessing alcohol, or any other act that disrupts the goal of achieving a peaceful and safe environment for all in attendance.

Persons planning to attend the New Year’s Eve celebration in the Stateline area are reminded that per Douglas County Code 9.26.010, glass or metal containers, regardless of contents, are prohibited in the casino core area on New Year’s Eve.

Any such containers, including their contents, will be confiscated for destruction by law enforcement. Alcohol or other liquids shall be in a plastic cup, paper cup or other similar vessel.

Area casinos are aware of this requirement, and will serve alcoholic beverages in plastic cups throughout the evening.

Parents must be mindful of their children’s whereabouts and activities, especially during the New Year’s Eve celebration. The crowd that gathers in the casino core for the event is not conducive or intended for participation by juveniles.

Each year during the event, a large percentage of contacts and arrests are made of persons under the age of twenty-one. The curfew in Douglas County is midnight on Saturday, December 31, 2018. Persons under the age of eighteen are subject to citation for being in violation of this ordinance.

Persons under the age of 21 who are in possession of alcohol or who have consumed or are under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be subject to arrest.

Nevada is one of 20 states that decriminalized marijuana possession effective January 1, 2017, but residents will still have to be 21 years older to purchase and consume beginning January 2017.

It will still be illegal to smoke marijuana in a public place in 2018. It is also important to remember that will be still against the law in 2018 to drive a vehicle under the influence of marijuana.

In addition to the augmented law enforcement staffing in the Stateline casino core area during New Year’s Eve, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Nevada Highway Patrol will have a full complement of patrol personnel on duty in both the Carson Valley and Lake Tahoe areas to handle calls for service and traffic enforcement, particularly targeting intoxicated drivers.

All persons who consume alcohol during their New Year’s Eve celebration are encouraged to catch a ride with a sober driver, or utilize a local driving service.