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By DANIEL LOCKE | Staff Writer

CALERA – Last weekend, the Calera Police Department was notified of suspicious activities involving juveniles in the parking lot of the Waterford Clubhouse, according to an official Facebook post from the department.

A sergeant and patrol officer responded to the scene. They approached the suspects, asking one of them to remove his hand from the pocket of his sweatshirt. After the suspect refused, the sergeant removed his hand and discovered he was concealing a firearm. The firearm was recovered and the suspect was arrested.

“Children carrying handguns at a subdivision clubhouse, playground and pool area is ridiculous and puts everyone, including themselves, in danger,” Calera Chief of Police David Hyche said in the post.

The patrol officer approached the second suspect and held him by his arm to detain him. The suspect did not comply and began to walk away, eventually breaking free and escaping on foot.

The officer pursued the suspect, but when he watched the suspect throw a handgun into an area with small children around, he secured the firearm and lost sight of the suspect. The department was informed that the suspect fled from the area in a vehicle.

“I’m proud of these two officers and I’m grateful that this situation ended without tragedy, but we are seeing violent crime involving kids and guns all over our state and country at alarming rates,” Hyche said.

The second suspect was identified, and both suspects have now been referred for juvenile prosecution. Neither suspect is a Waterford resident or a resident of a surrounding subdivision.

Hyche concluded the post by encouraging parents to take immediate action when they suspect their children of being involved in illegal activities. He reminded parents of the resources available to help children in these situations clean up their behavior.

“Parents, if you believe your kids are carrying guns, selling or using drugs or involved in gangs, don’t just take action after a tragedy occurs, take action now,” Hyche said. “Call us, talk to our SROs, we will do what we can to help. Our CASE program has connections with resources that are available to help parents and students.”