Monument Prevention Coalition working to address alcohol issues
By Maunette Loeks
June 16, 2018
SCOTTSBLUFF, Nebraska – Monument Prevention Coalition’s efforts to combat underage drinking and excessive alcohol use continue to improve the community.
Lanette Richards, director of the coalition, and its members outlined some of its work during its recent meeting Tuesday.
Richards continues to regularly monitor liquor license violations, including recently traveling to Lincoln to speak with members of the Nebraska Liquor Commission. Though commission members could not speak with her specifically about cases that will be before the coalition, Richards said she has found that it’s very important to speak with the commission members and to represent the area. Oftentimes, during hearings, she said, Project Extra Mile and Monument Prevention Coalition are the only ones at the hearings giving voice to the need for obeying liquor laws and preventing underage drinking.
“The state gets lots of taxes from alcohol, and there are not a lot of limits on the number of licenses that can be in a community,” she said. “There are also lots of people from the alcohol businesses at the hearings or making their positions known.”
Oftentimes, at businesses that have compliance issues, Richards said she finds that managers will have taken alcohol server training, but the persons actually serving alcohol, such as clerks, have not. Monument Prevention Coalition has worked with other agencies, like Panhandle Partnership and the Nebraska State Patrol, to provide alcohol server training.
The coalition is also hoping to reach some of the sectors that it is missing. For example, she said, Monument Prevention Coalition continues to work in a partnership with Western Nebraska Community College.
Students in college are at risk for excessive alcohol use, one of the areas that the coalition works on campaigns to prevent. The coalition and its members remain hopeful to continue to expand its efforts to reach community college students. Most recently, she said, WNCC conducted a survey, which also included questions regarding domestic violence for coalition member DOVES, of a pool of 250 students to help the agencies get a baseline survey to regularly survey students on underage alcohol use, excessive alcohol use and domestic violence to allow them to tailor efforts to college students. Chadron State College does similar surveys on a regular basis.
Richards and alcohol prevention coalition members will also attend an upcoming seminar at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln that will include presentations from the Human Performance Project and other organizations.
Youth continue to be active in the organization’s advisory group. Recently, Richards said, the youth advisory group traveled to Lincoln for Capitol Public Health Day on March 25-26. One of the students was asked to present at a luncheon for the state senators. The group has been fundraising for next year’s trip and she said they recently spearheaded their own fundraiser, a bake sale, and expect to have other bake sales this year. Youth in the group work on their public speaking and other skills as part of their efforts, she said.
Law enforcement efforts on underage drinking were also highlighted. Sgt. Phil Eckerberg, of the Scottsbluff Police Department, outlined some of the efforts by area departments, including compliance checks on May 19. Eckerberg said law enforcement — which include the Nebraska State Patrol, Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Office and Scottsbluff Police Department — conducted the checks and saw the highest rate of non-compliance that it has seen in some time. Five out of 69 businesses sold alcohol to a minor for a noncompliance rate of 7 percent.
Rates are lower than when the agencies, partnering with Monument Prevention Coalition, began conducting regular compliance checks in 2000-01. When regular checks first began, he said, noncompliance rates were as high as 40 percent.
“We’ve come a long way since we started,” he said. “I keep hoping that we’ll have no failures, but it has not happened yet.”
Departments have seen an uptick in minor in possession parties, he said. Some efforts, such as obtaining grant funds from partner organizations, were discussed and are available to provide training to law enforcement on party dispersal and other needed training.
“They (minors) are still out there, still drinking,” Eckerberg said. “If we keep the pressure up, and teens considered that they may be caught, perhaps we can prevent some of them from drinking.”
The Scottsbluff Police Department also recently conducted its Click It or Ticket effort and out of its 82 traffic citations, Eckerberg said two people were arrested for driving under the influence and three were arrested on charges of minor in possession.
For more information on becoming involved with the Monument Prevention Coalition, contact Richards at 308-635-6162.