California grant program reduces alcohol-related crimes

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,The, Nov, 1998 by Jay Stroh

In the early 1990s, a person in the United States died, or received life-threatening injuries, due to an alcohol-related collision every 15 minutes.(1) To underscore this tragic statistic, the Chico Police Department (CPD) in northern California developed an alcohol prevention program called "Every 15 Minutes." This high intensity, 2-day program focuses on junior and senior high school students. Students are selected to participate in the program after receiving permission from their parents, who also play an important role. On the first day of the program, every 15 minutes, the selected students leave the classroom, their obituaries are read to the class, and uniformed officers present their parents with mock death certificates at their homes or offices.

The "living dead" students stay overnight at a retreat to simulate their absence from friends and family. The next day, emergency personnel, law enforcement officers, community members, the "living dead" students, and the school staff give a presentation during a school assembly on alcohol and how to make the right decisions about drinking and driving.

CPD's "Every 15 Minutes" experience, along with several other schools that adopted this program, has had a strong, emotional impact not only on the students, but on the parents, school staff members, and others involved, as well. Funded by grant money from the Grant Assistance to Local Law Enforcement (GALE) project, "Every 15 Minutes" represents one of several programs implemented in California's Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) program to reduce alcohol-related crime. Because of the program's success, ABC received a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety that issued 15 minigrants totaling $51,000 to local agencies in 1998 to produce the "Every 15 Minutes" program in local high schools.

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF ABC

Established by a state constitutional amendment in 1955, the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control retains exclusive power to license and regulate individuals and businesses engaged in the manufacture, importation, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages in California. Although the department concentrates on the licensing and enforcement of ABC regulations, its 181 investigators are fully sworn peace officers with the power to cite and arrest any violators of the penal code.

Alcohol plays a significant role in crime and social problems. Sales of alcoholic beverages to minors represent one of the biggest problems in California. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) most recent data shows the alcohol involvement rate for young drivers, based on the total licensed driver population, is about twice that of the over-21-age driver. NHTSA recently released a fact sheet that states, "In 1996, 36.6 percent of the 6,319 traffic fatalities of 15 to 20 year olds were alcohol-related."(2) That translates into 2,315 needless deaths in this age group. Driving under the influence (DUI) is still one of the highest causes of death for young people age 15 to 20. In 1996, 116 minors died from drinking and driving in California.(3) Studies have shown a connection between violence, including homicides, and alcoholic beverages.(4) It is not uncommon for the killer, the victim, or both, to be intoxicated at the time of the crime. Alcohol also plays a prominent role in family crimes, including spousal and child abuse. A recent study, funded by the California Wellness Foundation, indicated that in three San Francisco Bay area neighborhoods, youth violence rises, sometimes dramatically, with the number of places that sell alcohol.(5) In some areas, high concentrations of liquor outlets play a significant role in reducing the quality of life in neighborhoods and business districts along with drug dealing, public drunkenness, loitering, and littering.

Driving under the influence remains a serious problem in California, despite the fact that alcohol-related deaths have dropped significantly over the past 10 years. According to California Highway Patrol statistics, in 1996, a total of 1,254 people died in drunk driving collisions on California roads and highways, and another 35,654 were injured.(6) Studies show that almost half of all drunk drivers arrested had their last drink in a retail alcohol establishment.(7)

ABC DEVELOPS A STRATEGY

To reduce alcohol-related crime, ABC developed a strategy involving education, prevention, enforcement activities, and collaboration to deal with alcohol-related crime. In 1995, ABC embarked on a new and innovative approach to broaden and increase the level of alcoholic beverage law enforcement in California by working in partnership with cities and counties through a grant program.

ABC conducts a 2-day training conference for grant agencies on ABC rules and regulations, investigative techniques, and the requirement for filing administrative accusations against licensees. Special ABC grant investigators then are assigned to each agency to act as a liaison with the department and to assist in solving problems and issues involving grant programs.