2009_0323_ Packet_Exec - Laserfiche WebLink

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Department Approval l�'�, Jy REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION Date: March 23, 2009 Item No.: 7.i Acting City Manager Approval �"�' �. .�: �� Item Description: 2009 ENFORCING UNDERAGE DRINKING LAWS GRANT APPLICATION BACKGROUND The Roseville Police Department has been conducting aggressive, thorough alcohol compliance checks on all liquor licensees in the City since 1997. The Department has used funds from the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Justice Assistance funds, and when no funding was available, funds from its alcohol forfeiture account to support this important program in the Department's continuing effort to remind liquor licensees of their legal and moral responsibility not to sell or serve alcohol to anyone under the age of 21. The Roseville Police Department is committed to the goal of zero tolerance in the sale of alcohol to minors. Free training packets for employers to train employees in preventing the sale of alcohol to minors can be downloaded from the Department's website and are also available upon request at the police department's front counter. The business/business employee who sells the alcohol product to the underage purchaser is cited and fined per City Code 302.15. The City of Roseville Police Department has the opportunity to apply for funding through the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety to enforce underage drinking laws. Funding applications are required to be received by the Office of Traffic Safety no later than April 17, 2009. Funding will cover a twelve month period, July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. The police department is requesting $4,370.00 to cover the overtime costs of officers deployed during two alcohol compliance checks. POLICY OBJECTIVE Six weeks before the Department's annual compliance checks commence, the Department (the Administrative Sergeant) sends a letter to all affected businesses notifying them of the upcoming checks. In that notification, businesses are also made aware that the Department promotes free training to both servers and managers to prevent the sale of alcohol to underage persons and to prevent violations of the City's Liquor Control Ordinance. Businesses are also informed that liquor licensees who participate in the free training receive less severe penalties than licensees who do not. The Roseville Police Department (the Administrative Sergeant) then recruits officers to oversee the process during the alcohol compliance checks. The Department uses two minors (referred by police officers) to pose as underage purchasers. The underage purchasers are paid $15.00 an hour and the officers are paid an average of $45.00 an hour (overtime) . Page 1 of 3