Law Enforcement, Community Groups Educated and Empowered on Preventing Underage Drinking Parties

State and Community Partner, Offer Training Aimed to Curb Underage Drinking in Saratoga County

ALBANY, NY (05/19/2010)(readMedia)-- State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo and Saratoga County District Attorney James Murphy today announced a training for Saratoga County law enforcement including college public safety, park police, local and state police, prevention providers, and community leaders, and emphasized the importance of preventing underage drinking and dispersing underage drinking parties.

The full-day training is being held at the Saratoga Spa State Park, 19 Roosevelt Drive, Administrative Building, Saratoga, NY. The training session links the importance of community involvement with the leadership of law enforcement to effectively prevent and disperse underage drinking gatherings. The training will engage law enforcement on modern, evidence-based enforcement and prevention techniques and offer them the opportunity to interact with local high school and college students in the dispersal of a "mock" underage drinking party. With prom, graduation and summer concert season upon us, the timing of the training is critical to ensuring New York youth stay safe and alcohol-free. Following the classroom training, local teens will stage mock parties on the grounds of the Saratoga Spa State Park next to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, where police personnel can safely and successfully apply the dispersal techniques they learned earlier in the day.

"The reality of underage drinking in New York and throughout the nation is alarming, and in Saratoga County, the rates exceed those of the state average," said Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo. We must educate and empower the teens, families and communities on preventing underage drinking. This training geared toward Saratoga County law enforcement and community groups is an example of the state's and community's dedication to better preventing underage drinking and safely and effectively disbanding the drinking parties. By working together, we can prevent our young children from the dangers of drinking and ultimately, save their lives."

9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Welcome: The Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Project

  • Walt Davies, NYS OASAS
  • Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo, NYS OASAS
  • Judy Ekman, The Prevention Council
  • Alane Ball Chinian, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Controlled Party Dispersal Training

12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Saratoga County District Attorney Jim Murphy

1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. DMV Investigator Dan Haughney

1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Briefing for Mock Party Dispersals

  • Youth
  • Law enforcement

2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Mock Party Dispersals