GoLocalProv Exclusive: "Cops won't bother us so we don't need to worry about that."

GoLocalProv Exclusive: "Cops won't bother us so we don't need to worry about that."

The graduation party at Providence Police Chief Col. Dean Esserman’s East Side home that included underage drinking was promoted on Facebook as a celebration that would not be interrupted by police, GoLocalProv has exclusively learned.

In a Facebook message sent two days before the party, Esserman’s daughter told other high school students on the invite list to bring their own drinks and marijuana, and promised drinking games that would be taking place both inside and outside the house.

“The party starts at noon, but that is mostly family and my parent’s friends,” the message reads. “Everyone can start to come through around 730/8. Bring whoever, just let me know. Bring your own drinks and bud (slang for marijuana) for the night, and there will be plenty of food if you want to eat. Cops won’t bother us so we don’t need to worry about that. Not like my last party, im flying to XXXXX the next day. Bon fire, pong (inside and out). I’ll also have the Bruins game on”

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

Over the course of two hours late Friday evening, GoLocalProv’s reporter exclusively witnessed dozens of young adults entering and ultimately leaving the party, some with beer cans in their hands and cases of beer over their shoulders.

Shortly after 11:00pm, when the Chief estimates the number of young people at his home had grown to around 100 people, the party began to break up. Esserman, who says he supervised the party with his adult son, claims he made the decision to end the party after picking up a cup and smelling alcohol.

The Chief admits to seeing a number of young people leaving with beer in their hands. 

The city and Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare have yet to offer extended comment on the incident, other than to say that Pare is now conducting an evaluation.

Developing…

EDITORS NOTE: As a policy GoLocalProv does not include the names of family of public officials unless it is directly relevant to the story. This series focuses on Providence Police Chief Esserman's role in an incident and the follow up to it.  He is a leading law enforcement official in Rhode Island. We have chosen not to publish the name of his daughter or the school.