An annual effort to crackdown on underage drinking is underway in Saratoga County as the summer tourism season sets in.
Officials want young Blink-182 fans to put that 40 down.
The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, the State Liquor Authority, State Police, and State Park Police are teaming up for the fourth summer to check for fake IDs at Saratoga Performing Arts Center concerts.
Last year alone, Operation Prevention resulted in 307 citations and the seizure of 349 fake IDs.
“Well, that’s really where it all begins. A lot of these places know, not just venues but other bars, restaurants, they know the underage patron has to show something. So, that right away tells the underage person, ‘I’ve got to get something, I’ve got to get a fake [ID].’ So, that’s where it starts so as long as the restaurants and the venues are diligent in checking, the underage know they need to get a fake ID, so we need to attack the fake ID,” said Finelli.
Joseph Finelli is the Deputy Commissioner of Enforcement at the State Liquor Authority. He says punishments for those who are underage and trying to buy alcohol can vary.
“Yeah, well, it goes with your history, right? If you’ve got a clean history, it’s a one-time-deal and you’re going to start at one level. If you’re a repeat offender then it goes up from there. It can go up to where it’s a suspension or revocation of the license, but it may not jump to that level,” said Finelli.
Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen was on hand for the operation’s kickoff at Saratoga Spa State Park Tuesday. She says the program is focused on prevention rather than punishment.
“Younger people who are not of age legally to consume alcohol are not experienced when they do consume alcohol. So, if they have the means with a fake ID to be able to purchase alcohol whether it’s at a venue like SPAC or a convenience store, it’s the consequences of consuming alcohol and making poor decisions after that. Whether it’s getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle and driving while you’re under the influence of drugs or alcohol or a combination of those things, this preventative aspect is really to remind those who are younger, and the people who are around them, that the consequences of these destructive decisions can be real significant events,” said Heggen.
According to State Police, drunk drivers cause more than 17,000 deaths annually and nearly one-third of all fatal accidents are alcohol related.
City Police Lieutenant Paul Veitch says the state effort to enforce fake ID checks at venues like SPAC coincide with their own efforts each summer.
“So, starting as soon as the weather gets nice we usually increase our staffing on Caroline Street to deal with other problems that are alcohol related. But, in particular, we routinely do bar checks overnight. We will get a group of officers, we’ll go in, and anyone who looks to be under 21 we’ll try to identify them and if they are under 21 and if they are we’ll cite them for possessing alcohol under 21. Usually we also cite the bar. At the end of the day it’s the responsibility of the bar and the people that are working there to make sure that the people buying alcohol are 21. It’s kind of on their shoulders and they need to follow the law too,” said Veitch.
Venues across the state will participate in the program including Northwell Health at Jones Beach and the Empower FCU Amphitheater in Syracuse.
