A group of  Jasper parents are objecting to the way officers from the town’s RCMP detachment handled underage drinking at Lucerne campground Friday night of the long weekend.

A group almost entirely from Jasper of about 20 parents were supervising about 100 teens aged 16-18 at Lucerne campground, just west of the Alberta border.

Alcohol was being consumed and one youngster was treated for second-degree burns at Seton Hospital after reaching his hands into a fire.

Maria Jose Portela, one of the parents supervising the teens, described the encounter with police as an “ugly incident.”

“I saw an officer getting into a tent to check what they had there and a mother telling him in a very good tone that she thought he wasn’t allowed to do that,”  Portela said in an email to the Fitzhugh.

“The reaction from the officer wasn’t pleasant: he asked the mother if she wanted to be arrested. It was sad and upsetting.

“We are losing respect for each other and if we don’t stop something very unpleasant will end up happening and we will all regret it.”

Another parent at the campground, who spoke on condition that she wouldn’t be named, said the behaviour of the Jasper RCMP was unnecessarily aggressive in contrast to that of the officers from Valemount.

Sgt. David Maludzinkski, head of Jasper’s police detachment, said Valemount RCMP requested Jasper’s assistance after they responded to a complaint about the campground.

When the police arrived, parents began to argue on behalf of the teens.

“It was the dog’s breakfast down there,” Maludzinski said. “It’s not like we don’t have the law on our side, it doesn’t make sense to have a confrontation.”

Though British Columbia’s alcohol laws differ from Alberta’s, Maludzinski said parents may allow their own children to consume alcohol in a private residence or temporary resdience, such as a camp site, but it’s illegal to permit other children in their care to drink.

“They can’t just get some kid drunk,” he said. “And some parents don’t agree with that.”

Maludzinski said his officers were doing their duty by attempting to stop people from breaking the law.

“We have a real hard time with doing our job as it is, never mind with people in your face telling you what your job should be,” he said. “When you’re dealing with a bunch of drunk people it’s not a pleasant experience”

It’s frustrating that some parents don’t teach their kids how to behave safely, Maludzinski said.

“A lot of people think the RCMP are out there to spoil their fun but if it’s going to hurt someone it’s not fun,” he said. “I’d just like parents to raise their kids responsibly.”

- with a file from Jack Danylchuk