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SALT LAKE CITY -- Undercover Salt Lake City police officers arrested four people, including three juveniles, over the weekend at a rave party at the Salt Palace Convention Center.
Based on complaints from parents about juveniles overdosing at previous rave parties in the city, the city vice squad sent undercover officers into the party to make drug buys. They seized 85 Ecstacy pills, 4.3 grams of cocaine, 2.8 grams of marijuana and $430. Three juveniles and one adult were booked on felony charges of dealing Ecstacy.
In addition to the Ecstasy dealing arrests, several other misdemeanor arrests were made and at least two people were treated for drug overdoses, according to police.
The organizers of the party had obtained proper permits and even had advertising on local billboards for their "Naughty or Nice" theme party Saturday night.
Rave parties typically involve techno music and dancing and are not always secret events. The rave scene became synonymous about 10 to 15 years ago, however, with so-called "club drugs" such as Ecstasy.
Officials at the convention center say there were roughly 3,000 people who attended the rave, many dressed in their underwear. Others say the timing of the party is suspect since so many families were downtown to see Temple Square that night.
Heber resident Shayna Nabaum says Temple Square is packed the last Saturday before Christmas, so she questions why the rave was even allowed at the Salt Palace.
Salt Palace General Manager Allison jackson says they don't discriminate against any event, even during the Christmas season when families are walking around downtown.
"All types of people have the right to celebrate how they want to celebrate," she said. J
ackson apologized if some families saw some scantily dressed people as they were passing through the Salt Palace. But she said, "I can't control how people dress."
Jackson said Salt Lake police like it when dances like the "Naughty and Nice Rave" is held at the Salt Palace because it is a controlled environment. "They would much rather have it with us than in a warehouse or underground where they are not sure what is happening." She said she was not aware of the drug arrests during the party.
"We cannot deny them a permit just because they call it a rave," said Sgt. Shawn Josephson with the Salt Lake Police Department, "even though it does raise questions."
Story compiled with contributions from Paul Nelson, Pat Reavy and Jed Boal.
