The Westbrook Police have received a grant from the Maine Office of Substance Abuse to help them fight underage drinking this summer.
Capt. Tom Roth said officers would be monitoring stores that sell alcohol this summer to make sure they do not sell it to minors and cracking down on adults who buy liquor for minors. In addition, officers will also be patrolling locations where underage drinking parties are known to occur.
Roth said the increased patrols are designed to reduce or eliminate motor vehicle accidents involving young people and alcohol, assaults, vandalism and other crimes associated with underage drinking.
“In years past, some parents and other adults felt if they were supplying a safe place for minors to drink alcohol and took control of their car keys, they were ensuring the safety of the people drinking,” said Roth. “Although drinking and driving is serious among minors, the other dangers associated with minors consuming alcohol are just as deadly. Because of these concerns, our stance is to become more aggressive in looking for and prosecuting these types of violations.”
Illegal possession of alcohol by a minor is a civil violation carrying fines from $200 to $600. Illegal transportation of alcohol by a minor carries a $500 fine for the first offense, plus a mandatory driver’s license suspension of 30 days. Furnishing alcohol to a minor can be punished with up to $2,000 in fines and up to one year in jail. If consumption of the liquor by a minor causes serious bodily injury or death, the crime becomes a felony.
Police are encouraging residents to report incidents of underage drinking or the furnishing of alcohol to minors. Call the Westbrook police at 854-2531 if you have any information related to underage drinking or those that furnish alcohol to minors.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
