Alcohol Violations—

Police Launch New Initiative Against Underage Drinking

By Andrew Gorosko

Police Detective Sergeant Robert Tvardzik said this week that with the coming of warm weather and more outdoor gatherings, police are starting a special enforcement project to curb underage drinking in public and private settings.

Police plan to conduct surveillance at various locations throughout town to stem underage drinking, he said. Such work will involve watching for violations at establishments that sell alcohol, as well as monitoring activity at settings where underage alcohol consumption has occurred in the past, he said. Such areas include public parks and isolated byways.

The police project to curb underage drinking follows a recent police effort to more strictly enforce drug laws.

A new town ordinance expands the police’s ability to enforce underage drinking violations. Enforcement will reach beyond public property, which is governed by state law. The town ordinance provides police with certain powers to enforce violations that occur on private property.

In such cases, underage youths found to be illegally in possession of alcohol on private property may be issued a town infraction, which carries a $92 fine.

Police will use grant money to cover the overtime hours required for added patrols for underage alcohol enforcement. The grant money was obtained by the Newtown Youth Services NO SUDS Task Force as part of a project to curb local underage drinking.

During the first phase of the enforcement program, police recently met with package store, grocery store, and restaurant managers to explain that town police will be expanding their enforcement of underage drinking laws.

Police provided merchants with posters to be displayed at local businesses that explain that the attempted purchase of alcohol by minors will be monitored and that purchasers’ identification cards will be closely checked.

Police visited 22 local establishments that sell alcohol. The businesses gave police a positive reception on the alcohol enforcement project, Det Sgt Tvardzik said.

Police plan to conduct more underage alcohol sting operations with the help of state officials, Det Sgt Tvardzik said. In that program, an underage youth in the employ of police, while working in an undercover role, attempts to make illegal alcohol purchases at local businesses. The businesses that illegally sell alcohol to the youth are then cited by police.

Also, with the coming of summer, police plan to conduct sobriety checkpoints in various locations. In those enforcement projects, all vehicles passing a checkpoint are stopped by police and the drivers are interviewed to learn whether they have been drinking alcohol or using drugs. Such checkpoints also turn up a variety of motor vehicle violations.

Police Captain Joe Rios said its was important for police detectives to recently tell merchants who sell alcohol that police are stepping up their enforcement of underage drinking violations.

“We are going to take the necessary enforcement,” the captain stressed. “Our [police] visibility is important,” he added. Police will use marked patrol cars and unmarked cars in the project, he said.

“We are going to be proactive about enforcing underage drinking” violations, the captain said.

Underage drinking involves great risks being taken by young people, not the least of which is driving a motor vehicle while intoxicated, he said.

Risky behavior can lead to serious consequences, he said.