Bernalillo commissioner hopes to crack down on illegal raves

May 10, 2011

a proposed law could put illegal rave organizers behind bars -- if a bernalillo county commissioner gets her way. she says remote areas of the county are a hotbed for illegal raves -- that put kids at risk. our eddie garcia spoke with the commissioner about her proposed law. eddie? this proposed law means business. the first time an organizer is caught throwing a rave in the county without a license and without first telling officials days in advance....they will face a fine and jail time. there have been cases and reports of illegal drug use, sexual predation where you have 12 year olds dancing with 35 year olds. pictures of scantily clad underaged girls has been seen a lot recently--- from inside buildings with fire code violations around albuquerque. but commissioner maggie hart-stebbins says the raves pose a more dangerous problem when they happen in remote areas of bernalillo county... and she says... they happen a lot. hart-stebbins wants to push a bill that forces organizers to tell the county about them-- before they happen. when they're taking place, where they're taking place, who is promoting them, who is managing them. she says the "who" is every bit as important as the "where." the law would require every organizer to get a yearly license -- which hinges on a mandatory background check. if they have been convicted of a sex offense involving a minor, any drug offenses, serious violent felonies. organizers will have to give the county 3 days notice so the county can make sure the area safe. code enforcement officers are looking for potential fire hazards... escape routes.. .and port-a-potties. stebbins says deputies will also be patrolling the area. i think this is a legitimate activity - under most circumstances i know that young people enjoy going to these. we want to make sure that when one of these goes on, it's in a safe environment. hart-stebbins says this is all being done to protect underage teens who go to these raves. the public will be able to weigh in on the proposed law at tomorrow evening's county commissioner meeting. the bill could come to a vote in 2 to 4 weeks.