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August 7, 2003Party patrols aim to cut teen drinkingFirst endeavor netted several underage drinkersByRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - Some uninvited guests will start crashing underage drinking parties, according to an undercover "party patrol" plan announced by local police. The Traverse City Police Department, Grand Traverse sheriff's department and state police will work together on the sting, funded by a $20,000 Office of Highway Safety Planning grant. In both programs, undercover officers dressed in plain clothes will approach youths near liquor stores or in other public places where they may be drinking, Traverse City Police Capt. Steve Morgan said. Plain clothed officers could approach outdoor parties in public places, for instance. In cases where teens are suspected of drinking at private parties outside of public view, police would need probable cause to enter the parties, Morgan said. The first party patrol hit the streets last weekend and led to 10 citations for minors in possession of alcohol, one arrest for marijuana possession and the discovery of a runaway, police said. The party patrols will supplement another program that stations police officers at bars and liquor stores where they work with the establishments' owners and focus on minors attempting to purchase alcohol. "When we were working the party stores, we'd see a 21-year-old come in and buy a barrel of beer," said Sgt. Brian Heffner of the Traverse City Police Department. Police suspect that some of that beer likely goes to minors. The grant money is slated to run both programs through September 2004.
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