| Underage Drinking Enforcement |
Zap Grant
Underage drinking is a serious problem in Minnesota and across the nation. The City of Winona has been the unfortunate beneficiary of widespread—even national--media attention due to some high profile underage drinking offenses. Even one death or injury is one too many. The desire for a comprehensive and coordinated approach to underage drinking prompted the City of Winona Police Department, via the Winona County CJCC, to apply for a ZAP (Zero Adult Providers) Grant from the Minnesota Institute of Public Health. Partnering with the Winona Police Department on the ZAP Project proposal were representatives from Winona State University, Winona County Community Health; City of Winona Attorney's Office and The Winona Post.
On June 26, 2009, the MIPH notified the CJCC that its proposed ZAP Project was one of two proposals selected for implementation by the MIPH. The project will focus primarily on three areas which have proven to be important focus areas in existing ZAP projects: (1) Pre-Event: dissemination of information; (2) On-Scene: law enforcement response and investigation and (3) Post-Event: consequences that make a difference. .
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| Robyn Wiesman of MN Institute of Public Health presenting grant award to Deputy Police Chief Tom Williams |
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Social Host Ordinance
A social host ordinance is another tool to combat underage drinking by making party hosts responsible for the illegal consumption of alcohol. It would make people criminally responsible for hosing gatherings where underage drinking occurs, regardless of whether they supplied the alcohol. The host must only have knowledge that underage drinking occurred or would occur. This ordinance gives police another tool when they break up a drinking party where minors will not admit who bought the alcohol. A social host ordinance has been passed in the Cities of Winona and Goodview, via recommendation by the CJCC. The Winona County board did not pass the social host ordinance.
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Best Practices
The Best Practices Program is a joint effort by the City of Winona, Minnesota Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement, Winona County Community Health, local businesses, and alcohol vendors to eliminate dangerous and illegal sales of alcohol. Best Practices is a voluntary program offered to liquor license holders within the city. The program offers incentives to the licensees to undertake certain practices believed helpful in avoiding sales to under-aged buyers and overly intoxicated patrons.
The program has been discussed with liquor license holders and was approved by the Winona City Council in April of 2010. The CJCC supported this program and encouraged the City to move forward with the Best Practices Program. The program provides regularly scheduled, city-provided training at no cost and reduced civil penalties if a violation occurs.
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Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws College Enforcement Grant
Efforts to combat underage drinking in Winona and decreasing funding from local and state governments prompted the Winona County Police Department to apply for the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws College Enforcement Grant (EUDL), via the Winona County CJCC. In July of 2010, the Winona Police Department was notified they were a recipient of the EUDL grant from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. The grant will provide funding to continue a coordinated approach to underage drinking. The Winona Police Department, The Winona County Sheriff’s Office, and the Goodview Police Department will use this grant to continue coordinating their efforts against underage drinking.
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