Police receive grant to fight alcohol-related crime

for the madera tribune The Madera Police Department has been awarded an $18,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and will be administered by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to battle alcohol-related harm.

“This is important to Madera in order to increase protection for youth and to take enforcement action against locations that have contributed to an increase in crime,” Sgt. Thomas Burns said.

The goal of the grant is to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors and reduce alcohol-related crime through multiple enforcement, educational, and prevention programs conducted by local law enforcement officers.

A portion of the grant funds will be used for holiday enforcement efforts. Programs funded through the grant include minor decoy and shoulder tap decoy operations, informed merchants preventing alcohol-related crime tendency (IMPACT) inspections, licensee education on alcohol and drug (LEAD) trainings and target responsibility for alcohol-connected emergencies (TRACE) trainings. The grants strengthen local law enforcement efforts by combining the resources of local police officers and ABC agents.

ABC agents have expertise in alcoholic beverage laws and can help communities reduce alcohol-related problems.

“The program helps to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods by addressing alcohol-related concerns,” said ABC director Jacob Appelsmith.

The funds will be used to reduce the number of alcoholic beverage sales to minors, obviously intoxicated patrons, illegal solicitations of alcohol, and other criminal activities such as the sale and possession of illegal drugs.

ABC protects communities through education, prevention, and enforcement programs designed to increase compliance with California’s alcoholic beverage laws.

ABC encourages licensees to sign up for ABC’s Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs (LEAD) training free of charge. Licensees and their employees can now take the training online at https://bit.ly/2Ght95x. They can also sign up for training in person in a classroom setting.

To learn more about ABC enforcement and prevention programs that can help increase public safety visit: Enforcement programs — www.abc.ca.gov/enforcement/ Prevention programs — www.abc.ca.gov/prevention/