Sheriff: Growing Concern Over “Large Amish Youth Underage Drinking Parties” (Northern Indiana)

Some Amish settlements have a reputation for wild youth behavior. One of the more prominent examples has been the large northern Indiana community (the Elkhart County – LaGrange County settlement, including Shipshewana and other areas).

This has been the case for decades, though apparently things ebb and flow (and of course, this does not concern all the Amish youth in the community).

But to take one example, in 2020 there was the story of dozens of teen and young adult Amish being arrested at a party with an estimated 200 attendees, described in police accounts as “mostly young and drunk.”

At around the same time, an unknown someone or someones put up an “anti-Rumspringa” billboard in the community, right near Shipshewana:

The small text at bottom reads: “TITUS 2:11-13 teaches us to say NO to ungodliness and worldly passions, & to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.”

The message was clearly directed to area Amish parents. At the time, no one knew who placed this message (though perhaps it became known later).

There are other examples. On the darker side, hard drugs have also been a concern in the community.

To their credit, Amish parents in the community have sought to provide more wholesome alternatives to partying. One example is the Amish youth recreation center The Cove, as described by its Amish manager:

“The reason for The Cove is that we have around 3000 youngie um rumspringa (young folks in their teen years) in this community. We felt that there was a need for (a center) in this north central area to provide clean, fun things to do for the youth.

Our mission statement: ‘we provide a safe and relaxed environment for our youth, where they can create friendships, memories, and practice God’s love’. The Cove is not trying to be a sports center, rather a facility surrounded by people concerned about our future, trying to give our young folks a place to meet and greet other young folks.”

But it’s a large community, and there is going to be interest in other activities besides those offered at venues like The Cove.

Amish Youth Drinking Parties on the Rise

Which brings us to the current story. Below is a notice from the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office appearing in a recent issue of Amish publication Die Blatt.

In the intro paragraph, the Sheriff’s Office states the problem as they see it, and asks for community help:

ELKHART COUNTY, IN – The Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office has been made aware of the re-emerging presence of large, Amish youth underage drinking parties. To combat them, we are requesting assistance from the community. It has been around a decade since the large parties were last regularly seen in Elkhart County.

Interesting that the parties have not been as prominent for the past ten years or so. Perhaps that is a credit to places like The Cove.

The notice outlines major concerns stemming from the parties, including “high levels of intoxication which can lead to medical emergencies”, “impaired driving”, “illegal drug use and overdoses”, “fights” and even “sexual assaults”.

Interestingly, the notice only mentions Elkhart County, though the larger portion of the community lies in LaGrange County. It may be that the wilder parties happen there…or simply reflects that this notice comes from the Elkhart County Sheriff, and so only covers that jurisdiction.

The notice hints at a return to the “zero-tolerance” approach of the past, which resulted in arrests of parents and even an Amish church leader:

To combat the parties in the past, the Sheriff’s Office to a zero-tolerance stance. That stance resulted in the arrest of numerous youths, property owners and parents, and in one instance, an Amish bishop. The criminal offenses which were enforced included acts to which not only those in attendance could face, but also the owners of the property in which the parties were held.

The notice also lists potential punishments for violators, and closes stressing two points – education and a request to report parties:

Because of the potential dangers and consequences of the large parties, we want to first try to educate the communities on the risks and consequences in the hopes the community will help police themselves. If education and awareness are not enough, to help protect our youths and community, we encourage you to notify us of large alcohol parties likely to involve minors as well as any party where it is suspected that illegal drug usage is occurring. The report may be made by calling the Elkhart County police, fire, and EMS dispatch center at 574-533-4151.

Law enforcement no doubt does not enjoy dealing with these parties – both because of potential risks to their own safety (a handful of officers dealing with parties of hundreds of youth) – and, as noted in this closing paragraph, the safety of the youth themselves.

Such parties can even turn deadly. For example, in another large Amish community with a similar reputation for wild youth behavior, a 17-year-old Amish male was killed in 2022 at a drinking party after being struck by a car.

All this, of course, doesn’t line up with the popular idealized version of the Amish, but it is what it is (again, I’ll stress this isn’t the entire community). I also imagine some won’t appreciate additional outside attention brought to this, but it is what it is.