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Cops: House party in Southold leads to arrest under Social Host Law

A large house party with more than 75 people led to a Southold woman being arrested under the Suffolk County social host law, according to a police press release.

Police said neighbors called police to report a large house party at 205 Pine Ave. in Southold at about 11:30 p.m. Friday. Officers found minors were consuming alcoholic beverages and the homeowners were making no attempts to disburse the youths or stop alcohol consumption, police said. The party was disbursed and police issued an appearance ticket for a future court date to Mary Shalvey, 35, police said.

The social host law, first approved in 2007, makes it illegal for anyone over age 18 who owns or rents a home to “knowingly allow the consumption of alcohol or alcoholic beverages by any minor” on the premises. Suffolk County legislators passed a bill in June 2016 to upgrade the penalty category of the social host law from a violation to a misdemeanor. Police listed Friday’s arrest as a violation.

Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley said in a June 2016 article that the town police department was among the first to charge someone under the social host law, but has made few arrests since the law was enacted.