Underage
Drinking: Success Stories
Arizona
– February 15, 2003
of Problem
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The OJJDP Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws Initiative supports cooperation between community organizations, enforcement agencies, youth, and other concerned citizens to change local ordinances and enforcement practices.
In Mesa, The Party?s Over
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Aggressive prevention and dispersal
operations in Mesa, Arizona, have led to a significant reduction in
underage drinking parties in the area. The program draws on a variety of
resources to address a major part of underage drinking in the community.
Mesa, a town of 500,000, sits just southeast of Phoenix in the Arizona
desert. The town?s geography means that underage drinking can happen in a
number of venues?in homes, in hotels, in the desert, and elsewhere.
Four years ago, officers in one of Mesa?s police districts noticed that a
large share of their calls-to-service were related to underage drinking
that had led to crime and violence?stabbings, shootings, fatal collisions,
and more. The district began devoting resources to underage drinking
prevention, which then became the city-wide Minor Alcohol Abuse Prevention
Project, or MAAPP. The MAAPP is funded in part through the Governor?s
Office of Highway Safety. Says Director Richard Fimbres, ?The Office is
always eager and willing to participate in and provide funding for
partnerships that are efficient and effective.? Deputy Director?and Mesa
native?Michael Frias agrees: ?Under age drinking is a serious problem and
this is one of the many angles we must take to alter the culture of
underage drinking.?
Lt. Brian Kozak was assigned to coordinate MAAP, and he began looking at
underage parties as a focus of drinking activity. After reading
publications from OJJDP and NHTSA on party prevention and controlled
dispersal, he implemented party patrols in MAAPP?s efforts to reduce
underage drinking.
The patrols began in earnest about 2 years ago during prom season, with
the Mesa Police Department sending out dozens of officers to patrol,
locate, and disperse underage parties. The patrols have increased in size
and frequency ever since; at least two officers are on party detail nearly
every weekend. Even the helicopter unit is involved, reporting parties as
they are spotted from the air.
The patrols have been accompanied by source investigations, media
advocacy, and education. Once a party is dispersed, the police look for
the adult provider of the alcohol, bringing charges as needed. Media play
has also been important, especially in graduation season; stories warn of
patrol activities before they begin, later explaining the results when
they are concluded. Lt. Kozak also visits schools in the area regularly,
giving presentations on the costs and consequences of underage drinking.
According to Lt. Kozak, this work is paying off: there is a significant
drop in parties and underage drinking in the Mesa area. Where once there
were two or three desert parties a month, there are now almost none. ?Kids
have noticed a lot more heavy enforcement,? reports Lt. Kozak. ?The
perception of getting caught is higher.?
For
more information, please contact Lt. Brian Kozak at 480-644-4377 or
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