Mass. police get $5K for alcohol enforcement

Daily Times Chronicle 

READING, Mass. — The Reading Police Department received a $5,000 grant to conduct alcohol compliance programs in Reading. Funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention were awarded to Massachusetts for distribution through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division (EOPSS-HSD).

The grant funds will enable officers to conduct party patrols and compliance checks. They also fund a variety of law enforcement activities including additional compliance checks at restaurants and retail locations; reverse stings; “shoulder tap” and “Cops in Shops” programs. Through a combination of these techniques, the Reading Police Department will be able to monitor, analyze and, when appropriate, take legal action on both minors who seek to circumvent the law and those people and businesses that enable them.

“Teens and parents need to be reminded that underage drinking is not a game. It’s deadly serious,” said Chief James W. Cormier. “Parents need to know that hosting a party where alcohol is served to minors is both illegal and extremely dangerous for the minors and others in the community. Parents should also know they’ll face all legal liabilities.”

Full Story: Police to conduct alcohol enforcement effort