State Awards Watertown Police a Grant to Stop Underage Drinking

The Watertown Police Department received a $9,680 grant to combat underage drinking from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS).

The grant is one of 17 presented to local police departments from a pool of $114,000 funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 

"There are many tools to combat underage drinking, and this grant provides much needed funds to target the problem," Watertown Police Chief Edward Deveau said in a statement. "Whether you are underage, plan to sell to a minor, or buy alcohol for a minor, we will be on the look out."

Alcohol played a role in one-third of fatal accidents involving those ages 15 to 20. Nationwide, 33 percent of the deaths of 15 to 20 year olds killed in crashes in 2009 had a blood content of .01 or higher, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Teens often engage in other risky driving behaviors while drinking, such as speeding, distracted driving, running red lights, making illegal turns, and not wearing seat belts. In 2009, 70 percent of the young drivers of passenger vehicles involved in fatal crashes who had been drinking were also unrestrained, according to the NHTSA.

Watertown Police will use the grant for a variety of law enforcement activities including: stings/compliance checks in bars, restaurants and retail locations; reverse stings; "shoulder tap" and "Cops in Shops" programs; and party patrols. Deveau said he hopes using a combination of these techniques, the department will be able to crack down on both minors breaking the law and the people and businesses allowing them to do so.

"Teens and parents need to be reminded that underage drinking is deadly serious," Deveau said in the statement. "Parents need to know that hosting a party where alcohol is being served to minors is not only illegal, but is extremely dangerous for their teens, for others in the community, and for the parents themselves, given the legal liabilities they face."

The Watertown Police Department, in partnership with EOPSS, recognizes that traffic crashes are preventable, and is committed to using this grant to reduce the number of motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries in Watertown, Deveau said.

The grants were awarded on a competitive basis and varied between $5,000 and $15,000 based on the size of the community. This is the second round of grants that was made possible thanks in part to the careful fiscal management of federal funds by EOPSS.