Local law authorities crack down on alcohol abuse

Holidays are a time of celebration, but local law enforcement agencies are looking to make sure people in Flathead County party safely.

That’s where Montana Highway Patrol Sgt. Steve Lavin comes in.

The alcohol enforcement team he heads is starting an operation called “shoulder taps.”

During a shoulder tap, an underage youth poses as a potential alcohol buyer, standing outside convenience stores and other establishments that sell alcohol and asking customers as they walk by to purchase alcohol for him or her.

Law officers will be around the corner, waiting to issue a ticket to anyone who does purchase alcohol for a minor.

“It’s an attempt to get people to think twice before they buy alcohol for underage kids,” said Lavin, who added that he hopes the effort will help curb underage drinking.

Buying alcohol for a minor carries a penalty of up to a $500 fine or six months in jail.

Montana has one of the highest rates of underage alcohol use in the nation, and more than 30 percent of high school-age teens say they have consumed alcohol in the past year, Lavin said.

Lavin said the Montana Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies routinely drive to areas where parties take place and respond to reports of underage drinking parties as part of their effort to reduce the problem.

They also do compliance checks, which target people who work in bars and other establishments that sell alcohol, to make sure employees are properly carding those who purchase alcohol.

Authorities aren’t just cracking down on underage drinking.

This holiday season, Flathead County Sheriff’s deputies, Kalispell police, Montana Highway patrol, Columbia Falls police and Whitefish police are joining forces to perform multi-agency patrols aimed at drunk drivers.

“DUIs and DUI-related crashes do increase during the holiday season, always,” Lavin said.

For the past two years, Montana has had the highest rate in the nation for people driving under the influence, Lavin said.