Teens face drug charges

Several local teenagers may soon be facing drug charges after an investigation at three local schools by the Kalispell Police Department.

According to School Resource Officer Jason Parce, the potential charges are spread across three cases.

The first case involves a 15-year-old boy at Flathead High School, against whom the department is recommending charges of possession of dangerous drugs and criminal sale of dangerous drugs on or near school property. He is alleged to have been selling prescription drugs.

The second case connects a 15-year-old boy at Glacier High School and a 14-year-old boy at Kalispell Middle School. Parce said he received a tip from a staff member at the high school indicating the 15-year-old was in possession of drugs and paraphernalia, and may have been under the influence of drugs.

When the boy was searched, he was found to have paraphernalia and remnants of the drug.

The 14-year-old is facing a recommended charge of conspiracy to sell dangerous drugs after it was discovered he was allegedly arranging to give the Glacier High student prescription drugs in exchange for marijuana.

According to Parce, another 14-year-old Kalispell Middle School student was found to have drugs. The student allegedly claimed he received the drugs from an adult in Kalispell, but refused to provide any further information.

The final case, involving a girl at the middle school, remains under investigation. Parce said he will more than likely pursue charges of distribution of dangerous drugs on or near school property for selling prescription drugs.

Despite the incidents taking place at local schools, Parce said the issue is not a school problem, but a law enforcement problem and a community problem.

“Our kids are coming into contact with these illicit drugs at such a young age and becoming dependent on them,” he said. “Without exception, the kids I’ve talked to have had something going on in their lives and felt they had no way to escape it. Unfortunately it’s a downhill slide from there, and we see it all too often.”

But the reason there are more drug arrests and investigations at the schools, Parce explained, is that staffers are taking a more proactive approach of working with law enforcement.

“They understand that if we can stop it at an early age, the chances of these kids succeeding and making it through high school, having a successful high school career, are much higher,” he said.

“They’re asking, ‘What can I look for in my kids?’ We give them that information, and they’re picking up on it and notifying us. That’s really what we can credit all these investigations to.”

Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.