RURAL UNDERAGE DRINKING ENFORCEMENT

UNDERAGE DRINKING ENFORCEMENT LOCK HAVEN PA CHALLENGES MANPOWER – 11 PATROL OFFICERS LHPD  RESIDENTS – 9,200  UNIVERSITY STUDENTS – 5,000  AREA – 2.5 SQUARE MILES  NO REAL FEAR OF ARREST DUE TO A LACK OF MANPOWER AND ENFORCEMENT  GRANT NEWS REPORT  Lock Haven students on campus offer a reason as to why underage drinkers are more prevalent in rural areas. "There is nothing to do and it's so far [away from everyone], that you don't have to worry about the cops," says Nate Jackson, a student on campus. For the most part, students' reactions to the grant were skeptical at best. Whether or not the money will do any good in fighting underage drinking depends heavily on how the money is used. For instance, as Karissa Fahnestock explains that DUI enforcement for students on campus will not be quite as effective since "most people don't drive...they walk to parties." Availability was yet another issue that she commented on as a tricky problem. "If [young people] want it, they're gonna get it.“ Source: LHU Eagle Eye 01-26-05 (as published)  CHALLENGES  Due to manpower issues officers were too busy responding to calls to be proactive.  This caused large numbers of persons carrying alcohol into the streets regularly.  Vandalism, disorderly persons, littering, theft, public drunkenness, and house party noise complaints were a common event.  In 2005 UAD enforcement began with the assistance of other officers in the County. SOLUTIONS  Held coalition meetings with all law enforcement agencies within the county.  Included District Attorney, State Police, Liquor Enforcement, School Police, etc.  Discussed enforcement areas and dates based upon past history of problems. TRAINING  SOURCE INVESTIGATION PROJECT  FALSE DOCUMENTS  CONTROLLED PARTY DISPERSAL  DUI ENFORCEMENT  SAME PAGE  SUMMARY CASE PREPARATION ENFORCEMENT  Enforcement patrols had briefings with all officers to reinforce what to accomplish.  Patrols were mostly plain clothes, walk & talk, mobile patrols, unmarked cars, bikes, pizza deliveries, etc.  Furnishing – arrests were based on the testimony of those supplied, and identified by officers.  Debriefing after each patrol. ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY         Contacts – 805 UAD Citations – 225 Furnishing – 29 DUI – 14 Disorderly – 17 Open Container – 37 Other arrests – 34 October 2005 through February 2009 FURNISHING CHARGES      District Attorney held those charged with furnishing to a standard $1,000 and one year ARD or $2,500 and two years ARD. One house charged 26 UAD, 6 Furnishing. Fines for furnishers totaled $15,000 plus costs. Some furnishers arrested had ARD revoked due to inspections by probation, alcohol found. They were sentenced to jail time. Arresting alcohol providers had the greatest impact on parties and party related crimes. SUCCESSES  Open alcohol container violations, public drunkenness, disorderly conducts, loud party calls, all dropped drastically. Regularly scheduled patrol officers were able to be proactive due to a reduction in call volume, and made UAD and furnishing arrests. Officers worked well as a team among all agencies within Lock Haven and other areas.   CRIME STATISTICS  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007    Part II Offenses LH&LHU ALCH 889 -235 865 -233 835 -236 816 -241 812 -295  NET 654 632 599 575 517 These stats include the increased enforcement arrests. Source: Uniform Crime Reports  College is supposed to be a time of experimentation. Kids are finally adults and free of their parents. Drinking has been a part of that experimentation for generations. Apparently Clinton County is a black hole in the middle of the college universe where traditions of the past don't exist. I am 21 now so I don't have to worry about where and when I want to drink. But for freshman and people under 21 most of them can travel back to their home towns were nobody cares about underage drinking. That was my case. When I was a freshman there was something going on every weekend. I stayed here all the time. When I became a sophomore it was easier to go home and get drunk because many parties were getting busted in this area. Source: LHU Eagle Eye (student newspaper) 10-23-07   Police too strict on underage drinking  Posted: 2/11/09  Lock Haven University, the school where the weekends are more boring then the week days. An off-campus party is hard to come by in this town. Since the city police were given grants by the state through the Rural Initiative to fight underage drinking in Clinton County, the parties and good times have disappeared. I spoke with a few freshmen who say that they barely go out on the weekends and usually end up either smuggling alcohol into the dorms or just doing nothing. Many kids go home on the weekends because there is nothing real exciting going on during the weekends. KEY POINTS  Training for all officers involved.  Involve officers that want to be there.  Schedule coalition meetings regularly.  Enforce all offenses don’t reduce charges.  Arresting providers for furnishing is key to affecting the problem of UAD.  Monitor your successes and failures and adjust accordingly. CONTACT INFO Cpl Thomas Winters Lock Haven Police Dept. 20 E. Church Street Lock Haven PA 17745 570-893-5911 winterst@cub.kcnet.org