Reading PD Receives Grant for Alcohol Compliance Enforcement

The Reading Police Department has been awarded $5,000 to conduct alcohol compliance programs in Reading.

The $5,000 grant comes from funds given to Massachusetts by the National Highway Traffic Safety, Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The funds were distributed to local jurisdictions by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division (EOPSS-HSD).

According to a press release, the grant will enable Reading officers to conduct “party patrols” as well as additional compliance checks at restaurants and retail locations among other activities.

“Teens and parents need to be reminded that underage drinking is not a game. It’s deadly serious,” said Chief James W. Cormier in the press release. “Parents need to know that hosting a party where alcohol is served to minors is both illegal and extremely dangerous for the minors and others in the community. Parents should also know they’ll face all legal liabilities.”

From 2008-2013, 92 percent of Reading businesses passed their alcohol compliance checks, the press release reads.

For more on the grant and alcohol compliance enforcement and policies in Reading, check out the full press release.