NCJ Number
143632
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 62 Issue: 7 Dated: (July 1993) Pages: 12-15
Date Published
1993
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Following an incident in rural Montana, in which a 16- year-old boy, whose blood alcohol level was .19, shot and killed three people and struck two small boys with his rifle, the Glendive Police Department instituted a program to address the growing problem of alcohol abuse among area adolescents and the crimes committed by intoxicated teenagers.
Abstract
The three-pronged plan called for enforcement of alcohol- related offenses, education of adolescents and parents, and alternative activities for adolescents. Enforcement of alcohol offenses became a primary consideration in allocation of departmental personnel and finances. Informants between the ages of 18 and 21 were used to purchase alcohol illegally and serve as witnesses during trial. Officers trained employees of liquor establishments on how to control the sale of alcohol, how to spot false identification, and how to develop a log to monitor alcohol purchases. The department implemented a Drug Awareness Resistance Education program in the local schools and set up programs to educate parents on the potential dangers of alcohol consumption by their children. A board of volunteers, in conjunction with the department, held non- alcoholic Halloween and New Year's Eve parties. As a result of these efforts, the number of alcohol-related arrests among 13- to 15-year-olds in the area has declined dramatically. 2 notes