Novato Police Devote Grant Funds to Youth Anti-Alcohol Efforts

With local public schools starting up Wednesday, the Novato Police Department is sending out a reminder that kids + driving + alcohol = trouble.

A week after a successful decoy operation that netted three arrests, officers will continue working with investigators from the state’s Bureau of Alcohol Beverage Control to combat youth access to alcohol, Novato police Sgt. Jennifer Welch said in a release.

As part of a grant awarded by ABC, Novato officers will conduct enforcement operations such as shoulder taps (wherein youths ask people to buy them booze), store decoy operations, educational classes and trainings for officers.

“With the beginning of the school year upon us, it is imperative that youth, parents, teachers and community members have an understanding of the dangers of youth access to alcohol,” Welch said in the release. “Teenage drinking leads to car crashes, fighting, unwanted pregnancies and death. The Novato Police Department encourages citizens to report teenage drinking and locations where alcohol is provided to youth.

The grant funding will end in June 2012.