California grant program reduces alcohol-related crimes.

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.

The GALE project represents part of the California governor's anticrime initiative to assist police and sheriff departments in reducing alcohol-related crimes. By working with law enforcement agencies and community organizations, the GALE project hopes to develop an effective, comprehensive, and strategic approach to eliminate the crime and public nuisance problems associated with alcoholic beverage outlets and then institutionalize those approaches within the local police agency. This project signified the first time in California history that ABC grants were awarded to police and sheriff departments.

In 1995, several local law enforcement agencies in California received 25 grants of up to $100,000 each. Twenty grants totaling $1.5 million were awarded in 1996, and 17 grants totaling $1.4 million were awarded for the fiscal year 19971998. Another $1.5 million is scheduled to be awarded in fiscal year 1998-1999. Law enforcement agencies that received the ABC grants included police and sheriff departments in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, San Diego, Oakland, Long Beach, and Lake County.

PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS THAT WORK

Specific programs were developed to maximize cooperative efforts between ABC investigators and GALE grant agencies. Three of the programs involve enforcement strategies, whereas the fourth is a training program.

Making an IMPACT on Alcohol-Related Crimes

The Informed Merchants Preventing Alcohol-Related Crimes and Tendencies (IMPACT) program teams an ABC investigator with a uniformed local police officer. Together, they visit licensed establishments in a given area to educate licensees about the various ways they can participate in reducing alcohol-related crimes and how to comply with ABC rules and regulations. By identifying areas of noncompliance and providing crime prevention information, IMPACT teams remind licensees of the responsibilities and accountability associated with the sale of alcoholic beverages.

IMPACT represents a fundamental change from the traditional law enforcement philosophy. Designed as a crime prevention approach in a relaxed atmosphere of cooperation between merchants and law enforcement officers, the program focuses on educating rather than enforcing. Even though the teams are prevention-oriented, members take action against any major violations observed during the inspections/visits.

By involving the media in publicity efforts, IMPACT has created a public interest in, and an awareness of, the influence alcohol has on criminal activity in a community, particularly its youth. Merchants accept the program and its philosophy because of their opportunity to identify weaknesses in their alcoholic beverage sales systems and to correct deficiencies without penalties.

One GALE city used IMPACT in the downtown area where six outlets in one block had excessive litter, drug paraphernalia, window signs, graffiti, and pornography stores. Within a week after the grant team's visits, licensees cleaned up all of the problem areas. Unexpectedly, merchants, including some of the most chronic violators, improved their business operations by checking identification and discouraging drunken loiterers. The stores remained law-abiding throughout the grant year, and a majority of these same stores reportedly are still running clean.

The IMPACT program also provides local law enforcement with an opportunity to learn more about the alcoholic beverage control laws they must enforce. Local communities endorse the IMPACT program because it improves the relationship between members of law enforcement and merchants, while diminishing the classically adversarial relationship often found between them. IMPACT ushered in a new, more positive level of communication between state officials, local law enforcement officers, and businesses to address issues surrounding alcohol abuse.

Minor Decoy Program

More than 50 percent of all ABC accusations filed against licensees in California are for alcohol sales to minors. In 1994, the California Supreme Court unanimously ruled that minor decoy operations, in which, under the supervision of police officers, minors enter licensed establishments attempting to buy alcoholic beverages, are acceptable in determining a licensee's compliance with the law.(8) In turn, the state adopted regulations to prevent claims of entrapment by licensees. These regulations require that decoys be under the age of 20 and look and act their age. Female decoys must wear clothes generally worn by their peers and must not wear makeup and jewelry to make them look older. Male decoys must not be overly large or have facial hair, such as beards or mustaches. If asked their age, they must tell the truth. If asked for identification (I.D.), they must show their own driver's license or identification card. If a decoy purchases an alcoholic beverage, the police officer and the decoy confront the seller within minutes of the sale and issue a citation to appear in state court.

In addition to these regulations, local law enforcement agencies send a letter to the establishment's owners and to the media prior to the decoy operation, notifying them of a pending decoy program. This informs the licensees to tighten up on their I.D. checks, educates the public about the problem of sales to minors, shows how the agency plans to operate the program, and denies licensees the opportunity to claim they did not know about the operation, thereby reducing their credibility in terms of excuses or claims of entrapment.

In many cities, the minor decoy program found that more than 30 percent of the licensees sold to minors during initial operations. Repeated use of the program decreased that amount to less than 10 percent in some cities.(9)

Special Operations Unit

ABC's Special Operations Unit (SOU) includes a team of 26 highly trained investigators assigned to assist department field offices and their investigators in focusing fast-track enforcement tactics on worst-case problem outlets. These outlets include disorderly and disruptive conduct on premises, stolen property clearing houses, drug dealing areas, and deliberate sales of alcoholic beverages to underage persons.

In addition, SOU investigators work with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies throughout the state on criminal investigations. They also conduct high-profile operations for large events or festivals where alcohol-related disturbances tend to occur. Established in 1993 to more effectively and efficiently respond to the increasing number of problem premises, the SOU completed 384 investigations and made 570 arrests during the 1996-1997 fiscal year.

License Education on Alcohol and Drugs Program

The License Education on Alcohol and Drugs (LEAD) program is a 3-hour voluntary prevention and education training program provided at no cost to licensees, managers, and employees. Conducted by ABC investigators, the program provides information on serving alcoholic beverages safely, responsibly, and legally as well as preventing illegal narcotics and other criminal activities in and around licensed establishments. In December 1995, the National Commission Against Drunk Driving awarded LEAD with its 11th Annual Education and Prevention Award. LEAD was singled out as "...the best example of the outstanding work being done across the country to reduce the incidence of drunk and impaired driving."(10) In August 1997, the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association selected LEAD from over 170 programs as one of 23 "Best Practices" regarding programs involving alcohol beverage retailers and practices striving to reduce the incidence of underage drinking. The LEAD program has provided training for over 67,000 people since its inception in 1991.

GRANT SUCCESSES

Most grant agencies have used IMPACT, the Minor Decoy Program, SOU, and LEAD, with several agencies placing more emphasis on one strategy over others. ABC grant officials perceived a diversity of problems between the various law enforcement departments; therefore, flexibility became necessary to allow for the uniqueness of each jurisdiction. The programs, serving as tools to meet the circumstances of each city or county, encourage innovation and creativity in dealing with alcohol-related crimes.

In 1996, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) reported that GALE grant activities resulted in a significant drop in homicides in the two areas of the city where the grant activities were focused. DUI fatalities and serious collisions dropped approximately 13 percent. Officers issued a total of 1,019 arrests and citations and levied more than $4 million in fines against licensees for labor code and other state and local violations.

In addition to using the IMPACT, Minor Decoy, SOU, and LEAD programs, LAPD worked with city regulatory departments to get the attention of problem bars and liquor stores. For example, the Departments of Health, Planning, and Building joined forces with the LAPD to target disorderly and disruptive conduct at establishments. In some instances, agencies took immediate action to close or fine businesses, in addition to using the ABC accusation process. In this process, agencies file accusations against licensees for alcohol-related violations and provide licensees an opportunity to contest the accusations in a hearing by an administrative law judge.

The CPD received grants in 1995 and 1996, and developed several innovative and effective programs to deal with a college town situation that had resulted in near riots and serious law enforcement problems in the past. Those problems greatly decreased due to the success of their GALE program. Like the LAPD, CPD used IMPACT, Minor Decoy, SOU, and LEAD during the grant year. In the process, they developed close working relationships with Chico State University, student groups, civic organizations, and the business community.

In the second year of the grant, the CPD developed their prevention program called "Every 15 Minutes." The program received numerous awards, including the National League of City's 1996 Excellence in Community Policing Award at the league's annual convention in San Antonio, Texas, and the Governor's Office of Criminal Justice Planning's 1996 Crime Prevention Award.

The Fresno Police Department's (FPD) primary focus in their GALE project included preventing the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors. Using the Minor Decoy Program, the FPD visited a total of 510 licensed establishments with significant results. During the first operation in January 1995, the percentage of licensees selling to the minor decoys was 27 percent. During the last 2 months of 1995, the percentage dropped to just 9 percent. In addition to the decoy program, the LEAD and IMPACT programs also played important roles in educating the licensees about the penalties of selling to minors.

Overall, the FPD's GALE program significantly reduced calls for police service in the two targeted areas. In one area, a zone approximately one-half mile by one-quarter mile, arrests for public intoxication decreased 26 percent from the corresponding period in the previous year. Homicides also dropped, from five in 1994 to none in 1995.(11)

Results proved more significant in another target area, an over 2-mile long corridor with 35 licensed premises, including bars, nightclubs, convenience markets, and liquor stores. Five of the 35 ABC-licensed businesses generated a total of 562 calls for police service during the year before the grant. During the grant period, these same five businesses generated 383 calls for police service, a decrease of nearly 32 percent.(12)

FPD's grant program became so successful by establishing an inhouse ABC enforcement team that the police department funded its own program the following year, continuing to work closely with ABC, and has since received a second grant for fiscal year 1997-1998. Other police and sheriff departments have met with similar successes. The ABC GALE project has been an outstanding success in most of the cities and counties that received grants.

WHEN GRANTS END

Because of its initial success, the governor and the state legislature have continued to support the program through this fiscal year, and another $1.5 million has been proposed by the governor for the 1998-1999 fiscal year.(13) When grant funding ends, many police departments continue implementing ideas learned from ABC investigators by reassigning officers from other duties and reappropriating their budget to enforce rules and regulations institutionalized by the ABC gram programs. Many cities and counties report that cooperation between ABC investigators, local law enforcement agencies, and community businesses continues even after grams end. After initiating grant programs, areas that previously ignored ABC rules and regulations now observe positive results showing that causes of crimes, including homicides, are often related to misuse of alcohol.

CONCLUSION

Local elected officials have overwhelmingly praised the grant program for raising the quality of life in their cities and counties. They attribute the reduction in crime and the number of calls for service to the grant, thereby allowing for more uniformed law enforcement coverage throughout their jurisdictions.

With over 70,000 licensees in California and only 181 ABC investigators, the grant program assisted in developing a collaborative relationship with local law enforcement and in keeping control of that small percentage of licensees that violate the law. Through a cooperative state and local partnership, the ABC grant program represents a winning situation for law enforcement, the community, and the alcoholic beverage industry as a whole.

Endnotes

1 The name of this program is based on the fact that in the early 1990s, a person in the United States died in an alcohol-related collision every 15 minutes. However, because of new laws and preventive programs like "Every 15 Minutes," the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that figure has now changed to an alcohol-related fatality every 30 minutes. U.S. Department of Transportation, NHTSA, Setting Limits, Saving Lives: The Case for .08 ABC Laws, December 1997.

2 U.S. Department of Transportation, NHTSA, State Legislature Fact Sheet, (Washington, DC, January 1998).

3 California Highway Patrol, Annual Report of Fatal and Injury Motor Vehicle Traffic Collisions (1996, Table 5J).

4 Richard A. Scribner, M.D., M.P.H., David P. MacKinnon, Ph.D., and James H. Dwyer, Ph.D., "The Risk of Assaultive Violence and Alcohol Availability in Los Angeles County," American Journal of Public Health 85, no. 3 (March 1995); Professor James B. Jacobs, New York University, "Drinking and Crime," National Institute of Justice, Crime File Study Guide, Washington, DC, (U.S. Department of Justice, 1986); Robert N. Parker, Prevention Research Center, Berkeley, CA, Alcohol and Homicides: A Deadly Combination of Two American Traditions, State University of New York Press, 1995.

5 Robert N. Parker, "Immigration and Violence: The Importance of Neighborhood Context," Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Science, (Prevention Research Center, Berkeley, CA, in press).

6 California Highway Patrol, Annual Report of Fatal and Injury Motor Vehicle Traffic Collisions (1996, Table 5B).

7 M. A. O'Connell, "Implications for Prevention Policies," Journal of Public Health Policy 6, (1985): 510-525 and R. D. Yoder, "Prearrest Behavior of Persons Convicted Of Driving While Intoxicated," Journal of Studies on Alcohol 36, (1975): 1573-1577.

8 Provigo Corporation vs. Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board, 7 Cal. 4th 561, 28 Cal. Rptr. 638.

9 California ABC Statistics, Minor Decoy Activity, from May 1994 to December 1997.

10 Terrance D. Schiavone, president, National Commission Against Drunk Driving, to Jay Stroh, director of California ABC, dated September 29, 1995.

11 Fresno Police Department ABC Final Grant Report, 1996.

12 Ibid.

13 Department of Finance, 1998, Governor's Budget 1998-99, Business Transportation and Housing, 1.

Mr. Stroh serves as the director of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.