Minor Alcohol Preclusion Ordinance: Fair or Foul?

Editor's Note: The following story was written before the Feb. 7 , who was hit by a car over the weekend. Morrow had consumed alcohol, but police are still investigating whether it factored into the accident. Davis Patch will be following this issue closely. Like Davis Patch on Facebook to track our coverage or apply to become a blogger if you'd like to contribute. 

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Is alcohol consumption intensifying in Davis and throughout the country?

Many believe that the problem has grown as a form of recreation among teens and young adults, and that serious problems come along with it.

Here in Davis, the community is seeking to do something about the problem.  The previously instated Safe Party Initiative has sought to educate students on how to be safe while at a party or when dealing with alcohol.

The Minor Alcohol Preclusion Act takes those efforts to a new level.

The ordinance being presented by the City of Davis would allow officers to cite minors who are found in public locations with alcohol in their system. One main reason for the new law is the recurring issue of uncontrolled Picnic Day madness, along with growing problems of underage drinking in Davis.

The Student Liaison Commission voted unanimously against the ordinance, stating that the matters mentioned in the initial ordinance warranted further discussion. (Read more in the Davis Vanguard)

Some of the concerns raised have to do with trust between minors and the police as well as the overall fairness of the new law. Davis Patch editor Justin Cox and I will be taking a look at these issues and running a series of stories in which we explore the potential effects and community response to the ordinance.

I will be focusing on the UC Davis student body and campus police department’s perspective while Justin focuses on the community and city police department’s perspective.