Queen Creek police ramp up patrols this week

As the first anniversary of 16-year-old Preston Lord’s beating death approaches, the Queen Creek Police Department is stepping up patrols in the days leading up to Halloween.

Lord was severely beaten on Oct. 28, 2023, while attending a Halloween house party in Queen Creek. He died of his injuries on Oct. 30. Seven men have been arrested and charged in Lord’s death.

“Over the next week, QCPD will continue to deploy extra patrols in common areas where teens are known to congregate and enforce laws related to curfew, underage drinking and other disruptive behavior,” according to a post on QCPD’s Facebook page.

The department is asking members of the public call the police if they see suspicious behavior, criminal activity or “unruly gatherings,” the post continued.

Those hosting parties are being warned to:

• Be responsible and monitor party activities.
• Not facilitate or ignore illegal activity.
• Not allow an unruly gathering to happen at the party.
• Ensure that everyone has a safe way to get home.
• Understand that they may be held criminally responsible if the gathering is unruly or violates state statute/town code.

The town has a curfew for juveniles who are not accompanied by their parents or guardians. For those ages 15 and under, the curfew runs from 10 a.m. to 5 a.m. The curfew for those ages 16 and 17 is midnight to 5 a.m.

QCPD also is asking the public to report and not repost any incidents that appear on social media. The public is asked to call the department’s  non-emergency line at 480-358-3500 or dial 911 in the case of an emergency.