Transcript LOCK HAVEN/CLINTON COUNTY COALITION

ENFORCING UNDERAGE
DRINKING LAWS IN PA
LOCK HAVEN / CLINTON
COUNTY COALTION
CLINTON COUNTY

Clinton County has 898 square miles
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Clinton County population approx. 27,000
not including Lock Haven
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Clinton County is mostly rural.
CITY OF LOCK HAVEN
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Lock Haven population approx. 9,200
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Lock Haven University approx. 5,000
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Lock Haven is 2.5 square miles
MANPOWER
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City and LHU only fulltime agencies
 LHPD Officers only get one weekend off
per month few will work OT
 LHPD street Officers - 11
 Among the age group 18-20 there was no
“FEAR OF ARREST”.
 Due to the lack of officers to patrol
CLINTON COUNTY POLICE
AGENCY’S
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Lock Haven Police Dept.
 Sheriff’s Department
 Lock Haven University P. D.
 Lamar Twp. P. D.
 Mill Hall P. D.
 Pine Creek Twp. P. D.
 Renovo P. D.
 Woodward Twp. P. D.
COALITION AGENCY’S
ALL LOCAL AGENCY’S
KEYSTONE SCHOOL POLICE
DCNR FORESTRY SERVICE
PA STATE POLICE
PA LIQUOR ENFORCEMENT
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
COALITION MEETINGS
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Meet approx. Bi-Monthly
 Discuss enforcement dates
 Training and equipment needs
 Our effectiveness within the community
 Upcoming problem dates such as
Homecoming , High school dances, etc.
 Discuss intel. concerning UAD locations
PROCEDURES
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Briefings before and after patrols
 Target known locations based on call
volume, complaints, and past activity.
 Patrol at least two person teams plainclothes
and identify self clearly.
 Utilize bikes, Pizza delivery, walk and talk.
 Identify furnishers by UAD subjects two or
more witnesses brings charges.
 Contact furnisher and get admission ASAP.
CRIME STATISTICS
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Part II Offenses
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2003 - 828
 2004 - 781
 2005 - 725
 2006 - 777
 2007 - 715
 Annually Lock Haven has approx 42%-47%
 of all reported crime in the County.

Source: Uniform Crime Reports
ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY

Contacts – 773
UAD Citations – 216
Furnishing – 28
DUI – 14
Disorderly Conduct – 13
Open Container – 29
Other Arrests/Citations – 33
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October 2005 through April 2008
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SUCCESS STORYS
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District Attorney held those charged with
furnishing to standard $1,000 one year ARD or
$2,500 and two years ARD.
One house charged 26 UAD, 6 Furnishing
Fines for furnishers totaled $15,000.
Some furnishers arrested had ARD revoked due to
inspections by probation, alcohol found. They
were sentenced to jail time.
Results are Open container violations, Disorderly
parties, Disorderly persons, all greatly reduced.
PROBLEMS

Leadership lacking when first began. Need
someone to lead the group activities.
 Prosecution varied with many agencies, had
to control D/C cites for UAD.
 The party houses have learned not to answer
the door creating tougher furnishing cases.
 Every September we have approx. 1,000
 18 year olds to learn the rules.
 District Judge finds not guilty in good
cases. Discourages officers.
GRANT NEWS REPORT

Lock Haven students on campus offer a reason as to why
underage drinkers are more prevalent in rural areas.
"There is nothing to do and it's so far [away from
everyone], that you don't have to worry about the
cops," says Nate Jackson, a student on campus.
For the most part, students' reactions to the grant were
skeptical at best. Whether or not the money will do any
good in fighting underage drinking depends heavily on
how the money is used. For instance, as Karissa
Fahnestock explains that DUI enforcement for students
on campus will not be quite as effective since "most
people don't drive...they walk to parties." Availability
was yet another issue that she commented on as a tricky
problem. "If [young people] want it, they're gonna get it.“
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Source: LHU Eagle Eye 01-26-05 (as published)
Nothing to do at LHU
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I have spoken with freshmen on the campus who are
extremely bored. They are looking for something to do on
the weekends and there just isn't much. I maybe a little bias
but I believe that this university's policy on underage
drinking and also the counties stance on underage
drinking.
Many other universities celebrate different occasions were
the backs of officials are turned.
College is supposed to be a time of experimentation. Kids
are finally adults and free of their parents. Drinking has
been a part of that experimentation for generations.
Apparently Clinton County is a black hole in the
middle of the college universe where traditions of the
past don't exist.
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Source: LHU Eagle Eye 10-23-07
Nothing to do at LHU cont.
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I am 21 now so I don't have to worry about where and
when I want to drink. But for freshman and people under
21 most of them can travel back to their home towns were
nobody cares about underage drinking. That was my case.
When I was a freshman there was something going on
every weekend. I stayed here all the time. When I became
a sophomore it was easier to go home and get drunk
because many parties were getting busted in this area.
The trend continued into my junior year until I turned 21. I
wish I was just one person that felt this way. Look at North
Fairview on a Friday afternoon. It is line with cars with its
four ways on waiting to be loaded up and headed home.
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Source: LHU Eagle Eye 10-23-07
CONTACT INFO

Cpl Tom Winters
 Lock Haven Police Dept.
 20 E. Church Street
 Lock Haven PA 17745
 570-893-5911
 [email protected]