--- title: "Enough Is Enough: A Plan to Address Alcohol Use Among Our Communitys Youth" type: "pdf" year: "1994" canonical: "/projects/203" --- # enough is enough ${ }^{\mathrm{TM}}$ a plan to address alcohol use among our community's youth ![img-0.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/94-02/img-0.jpeg) Copyright $\cdot$ June 1995 Boulder Police Department - 1805 33rd Street - Boulder, CO 80301 # Table of Contents - [enough is enough ${ }^{\mathrm{TM}}$](#enough-is-enough-mathrmtm) - [contents](#contents) - [introduction](#introduction) - [strategies](#strategies) - [Youth Drug and Alcohol Grant.](#youth-drug-and-alcohol-grant) - [Enough is enough.](#enough-is-enough) - [WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH?](#when-is-enough-enough) - [DID YOU KNOW ...](#did-you-know) - [Prom Night.](#prom-night) - [Youth Education Programs.](#youth-education-programs) - [Rewarding Positive Behavior.](#rewarding-positive-behavior) - [Alternative Gathering Place.](#alternative-gathering-place) - [Involving the Parents.](#involving-the-parents) - [Alcohol Diversion Program.](#alcohol-diversion-program) - [Reverse Stings.](#reverse-stings) - [Compliance Checks.](#compliance-checks) - [Saturation Patrols.](#saturation-patrols) - [Warning Signs.](#warning-signs) - [Media Coverage,](#media-coverage) - [cost projection](#cost-projection) - [evaluation](#evaluation) # contents Introduction ..... 1 Strategies Youth Drug and Alcohol Grant. ..... 1 Enough is enough. ..... 1 Prom Night. ..... 4 Youth Education Programs. ..... 4 Rewarding Positive Behavior. ..... 4 Alternative Gathering Place. ..... 4 Involving the Parents. ..... 4 Alcohol Diversion Program. ..... 5 Reverse Stings. ..... 5 Compliance Checks. ..... 5 Saturation Patrols. ..... 5 Fraternities. ..... 6 Warning Signs. ..... 6 Media Coverage. ..... 6 Cost Projection. ..... 6 Evaluation. ..... 7 # introduction Eleven Denver-metro area teenagers were killed in alcohol-related car crashes in the first five months of 1995 . Alcohol abuse among teenagers has always been a problem. In the past, the criminal justice system as well as society in general have not devoted the needed time and resources to fully address this issue. However, dealing with this issue has recently been identified as a priority in a number of different forums: The Boulder City Council has identified youth and alcohol issues as a city-wide priority; the Boulder County Law Enforcement Executives identified alcohol abuse as the number one priority for 1995; preliminary data received from the community survey completed as part of the Boulder-2000 planning effort indicates that Boulder residents place a high priority on dealing with youth/alcohol issues; and BPD's Watch-Hi utilized its two-day off-site workshop to generate strategies for dealing with the problem. Additionally, a day-long Alcohol Summit was held in June. This event brought together members of the community, criminal justice system, retailers, and educators to develop specific strategies designed to deal with the negative effects alcohol has on the community, and assign these strategies to workgroups. While the department continues to staff regular and overtime DUI enforcement officers, as well as offer DARE programs at Boulder elementary schools, this plan outlines the Boulder Police Department's response to the youth-alcohol issue. Its focus is on both preventative and additional enforcement efforts and is intended to be a starting point from which an ongoing, long-term effort will be required to affect a community-wide shift in attitudes toward teenage drinking. ## strategies ## Youth Drug and Alcohol Grant. In 1995 the Boulder Police Department was awarded a one-year (with the option to renew for two subsequent years) grant to address drug and alcohol use among the community's youth, utilizing both education and enforcement. The grant funds one full-time police officer position, an additional police vehicle, overtime money, and $\$ 5000$ to be used for educational materials. ## Enough is enough. The slogan "enough is enough ${ }^{\mathrm{TM}}$ " was developed to underscore the number of deaths we have experienced in this year alone, and will appear in different contexts in an attempt to tie it to the overall campaign. The statement is intentionally vague in hopes that it will stimulate conversation on the issue. -A flyer was developed by the Police Department, utilizing the "enough is enough" message, to remind the community of their responsibility in addressing the alcohol problem. It also describes the criminal and civil penalties for furnishing alcohol to minors. This flyer is being distributed by liquor stores throughout Boulder County (see Figure 1). # WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH? Eleven is enough. So far this year, eleven Denver-metro area teenagers have died in alcohol-related car crashes. Make it your responsibility to help stop alcohol-related death and injury. Don't furnish alcohol to your younger brother, sister, friend, or child. And, you're not doing anyone a favor by purchasing alcohol for the kid who stops you outside the liquor store. Enough is enough. ${ }^{\text {m }}$ ## DID YOU KNOW ... ... that Procuring Alcohol for an Underage Person is a Class Two Misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $\$ 1,000$ fine and/or twelve months in jail? ... that Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor is a Class Four Felony, punishable by up to twelve years in prison and/or a $\$ 750,000$ fine? ... that you may be exposed to a civil judgement? A Public Service Announcment from: Boulder Police Deparment * Boulder County Sherif's Deparment Boulder Liquor Association State of Colorado Deparment of Transportation, Office of Highway Safety ![img-1.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/94-02/img-1.jpeg) Figure 1. Flyer that is being distributed by Boulder County liquor merchants. - A specialty camera and equipment was purchased with funds from the Alcohol Grant that allows us to produce keychains that include a photograph on one side and a message on the other. To date, this equipment has been used at three different events, at which over 1000 keychains were produced and distributed. At each event, individualized anti-alcohol/dnig messages were created for the specific event. The events were Fairview High School's Prom (see Figure 2), graduation of Boulder PD's Safety First Class (see Figure 3), and the First Annual Family Fest at San Juan del Centro (see Figure 4). What turned out to be a very popular memento also provided an excellent opportunity for police personnel to interact with large numbers of youth in a positive setting. This equipment will be used at other events throughout the year. -Buttons and bumper stickers have been printed with the "enough is enough ${ }^{\mathrm{TM}}$ " message. These items are designed to invite questions and stimulate conversation on the issue. They will also be distributed at community events. In addition, the bumper stickers will be placed on police cars and taxi cabs throughout the city. - The Police Department has reserved advertising space on King Soopers' grocery bags during the week of September 10, 1995. At no cost, the "enough is enough ${ }^{1 / n n}$ message, with corresponding information, will appear on 1.5 million grocery bags that will be distributed from Pueblo to Fort Collins. -Other ideas under consideration for this campaign include advertising on RTD and HOP buses, pre-movie advertising at Boulder Mann Theaters, the use of billboards, and a reminder to the hotel/motel industry in Boulder ![img-2.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/94-02/img-2.jpeg) to raise awareness as to their responsibility in preventing large parties from occurring on their premises. Information on alcohol-related issues may also be disseminated through the orientation packet provided to new CU students. ![img-3.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/94-02/img-3.jpeg) # Prom Night. With two of the eleven Metro-area deaths this year occurring on a prom night, the Boulder community made it a goal to keep our teenagers safe on May 20, 1995 (prom night for both Boulder and Fairview High Schools). The Police Department's contribution to this effort was to provide off-duty police officers, at no cost, at both the proms and after-prom party to help ensure that none of the attendees drank and drove that night. The department also made a monetary contribution to help off-set the cost of the after-prom party. ## Youth Education Programs. Upon request officers will address various groups within the community, including school classes and assemblies, regarding alcohol issues. An informational brochure is being developed that will be distributed during these presentations. ## Rewarding Positive Behavior. The criminal justice system spends a tremendous amount of time and resources dealing with the community's young people in negative settings. We would like to explore the possibility of rewarding positive behavior exhibited by many of the community's youth. As we know, the Hill, Crossroads and Pearl Street Malls are gathering places for youth and would be logical places to launch a pilot program designed to acknowledge positive behavior. This acknowledgement can be in many different forms, such as the presentation of movie tickets, rec center passes, keychains containing a personal photograph and positive message, and coupons for food and drink at local fast food restaurants. The benefits of this type of program are many. It provides an opportunity for positive interaction and conversation between the police and kids. It helps teenagers to see officers as role-models, and it affords the officers an opportunity to interact with teenagers in a situation that does not involve conflict. ## Alternative Gathering Place. A more complicated and costly strategy is to develop alternatives to drinking. The creation of an alternative gathering place for youth will require support and commitments from many different organizations and community members. At a meeting co-sponsored by the Youth Opportunities Board and Student Leadership Boulder on April 28, 1995, representatives from the sponsoring agencies, as well as the City of Boulder, youth service agencies, and local businesses, explored a number of suggestions for possible locations to hold alternative events. These included the Dairy, the Boulder Theater, the Fox Theater, Rec Centers, and the Reservoir. They suggested that alternatives to drinking could take the form of dances, debates, and other recreational activities. Given the complexity of organizing such a program, we do not anticipate its development until late 1995 or 1996. A critical step in this project is to involve young people throughout the process of developing such an alternative. ## Involving the Parents. Clearly the success of this plan will require the time, interest and involvement of parents. Addressing local parent organizations is being considered as a point from which to begin developing this strategy. Another strategy underway is connected to the fraternity issue (see below). The CU Parent Association, in conjunction with CU Police, Boulder Police, Boulder Sheriff, and the District Attorney, are developing a letter directed to the parents of all incoming CU freshmen that describes our collective stance on alcohol issues, as well as provides a telephone number that can be called to receive updated information with respect to the status of Boulder fraternities as it relates to alcohol violations. # Alcohol Diversion Program. This program is designed for underage drinking first-time offenders. The program consists of alcohol education for the offender and a parent and, upon successful completion, dismissal of the charge. The alcohol diversion ticket itself was redesigned this year to make it less cumbersome and to include the diversion program now offered to CU students exclusively. Once the ticket redesign was completed, briefing training was conducted to re-emphasize alcohol enforcement, as well as the importance of this program. In addition, Park and Open Space Rangers, and the City's Environmental Enforcement Officers were appointed as "Peace Officers," allowing them to enforce state statutes. They are being trained to enforce the statutes relating to alcohol, including the Alcohol Diversion Program. ## Reverse Stings. This enforcement strategy teams the Police Department with the management of liquor establishments. Officers concentrate their efforts on the teenagers who are trying to solicit adults to purchase alcohol for them, as well as the teenagers who are attempting to purchase alcohol using a fake identification card. These reverse stings will be conducted at least quarterly. ## Compliance Checks. Weekly checks at bars and liquor stores are being completed. Specifically, officers are concentrating on sale to minors, serving of intoxicated people, ensuring ID checks are being made, and after-hours sales. This program appears to be necessary as violations continue to occur. ## Saturation Patrols. May 1st through September 1st, a combination of on- and off-duty officers are being utilized to concentrate on large keg parties that are occurring in Boulder Parks. The use of a larger number of officers to conduct this type of operation allows us to make contact with more kids who are attending these parties and, if appropriate, get them into the diversion program. The use of a low profile four wheel drive vehicle (purchased as part of the alcohol grant) allows us to cover more difficult terrain, and arrive without being so easily detected. Fraternities. The department is concentrating a directed effort at local fraternity houses. Large and, on occasion out-of-control, parties at which underage kids are being served alcohol have been an ongoing problem in Boulder. In the past, the department has made many attempts to work with fraternities to ensure compliance with liquor laws and reduce the number of neighborhood complaints that were generated as a result of their abuse of alcohol. Our strategies included ongoing meetings with fraternity officers and the CU liaison staff, establishment of Boulder Police Liaison Officers, and routine enforcement. The results of these efforts have proven futile. Contributing to our difficulty in addressing this problem is the frequent turn-over in fraternity officers and members, and the bigger issue of the social acceptance, and really expectance, of the use of alcohol in a fraternity setting. We learned that during the freshman orientation period at CU (June-July, 1995) some fraternities were recruiting incoming freshmen at parties during which alcohol was being served. Within the last few weeks, four fraternities have been contacted during these parties. The result has been the issuance of over one hundred diversion tickets, as well as many fraternity officers being cited for serving minors. We plan to contact the national chapters and the insurance carriers of those problematic fraternities to advise them of the situation. These targeted efforts will continue. # Warning Signs. Warning signs that identify the common violations relative to the sale of alcohol are required to be posted in every licensed establishment. However, these signs are available only in English. As such, the department has translated these signs into Spanish and made them available to liquor establishments throughout Boulder County. ## Media Coverage, It is proposed that the Boulder Police Chief and/or other City officials formally announce the "enough is enough ${ }^{\mathrm{TM}}$ " campaign. Media coverage of all aspects of our efforts is an important component of the campaign and will play an integral part in our gaining the community's support of the program. ## cost projection Most of the strategies mentioned above are funded by the Youth Drug and Alcohol Grant awarded our department in January of 1995. This one-year grant, renewable each year for up to three years, from the State of Colorado, Department of Transportation, Office of Highway Safety, covers: - One full-time police officer. -One new police vehicle. - Overtime funds to hire officers to perform youth alcohol/drug-related enforcement and educational activities. $\cdot$ $\$ 5000$ for educational materials (provided by the City of Boulder). These funds have been utilized to purchase the specialty camera and related equipment, film, flyers, keychains, buttons, and the Spanish language alcohol violation signs. Two costs will not be covered under the grant. First, Dairy Queen and McDonalds on the Hill have offered to support our efforts in rewarding positive behavior by donating coupons for food and drink. The department, however, would be required to match these funds. The second, and potentially most significant, expense (depending on what extent the department decides to participate) involves the development of an Alternative Gathering Place concept as mentioned above. Funding sources and level of involvement issues will be explored in the coming months. # evaluation Much of the success of this plan depends upon the prevention of death and injury of our community's young people. We did experience a safe and uneventful prom night. Prevention, however, is a difficult thing to measure and evaluate. Perhaps a more tangible measure will be how many personal contacts are made by police personnel with youth throughout the year. Many of our strategies involve one-on-one contact, some in positive, non-threatening settings. For example, during Fairview High School's prom, police staff were present taking pictures and making keychains. This provided an opportunity to speak directly to more than 400 kids, in a fun environment, about responsibility and safety as it relates to alcohol. It was apparent that the kids, parents and teachers were appreciative of this message and concern. For the enforcement-based strategies, high numbers of tickets written is both bad and good news; bad in that it means we still have a problem, but good in that it may be the only way to reach some people. Numbers of tickets issued will also be considered as we attempt to measure our success.