Drop in underage-drinking tickets causes dip in court revenue

[SoCalDem]

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009/02/15/drop_in_underage-drinking_tickets_causes_dip_in_court_revenue

By Mary Schenk
Sunday, February 15, 2009 9:03 AM CDT


CHAMPAIGN – A $120,000 dip in Champaign city court revenue in 2008 appears to be a result of police issuing fewer tickets for underage drinking so they can focus resources elsewhere. The 2008 annual report of the legal department on its city court prosecutions shows that revenue was down $120,275 from 2007, a result of 480 fewer tickets issued for all city ordinance violations.
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In the underage alcohol offense category, 491 fewer tickets – a 33 percent decrease – were issued in 2008 than in 2007. The minimum fine for that offense is $300. "Where that reduction came from was the district officers concentrating on street crimes rather than underage drinking in bars," Police Chief R.T. Finney said. "Those are the guys that the year before would have been on some of the bar details as a secondary detail. Because we weren't doing that many bar details, we weren't arresting that many underage drinkers."

Finney said the extra details assigned to underage drinking in the campus area in the past instead focused on burglary and robbery reduction in that area last year and that will likely continue. Potential revenue doesn't drive enforcement decisions anyway, he said. "A lot of these are maintenance issues. We try to address them so they don't get any worse," he said. While the police focus may periodically shift, alcohol consumption remains a component of the crimes because victims often are young people who are intoxicated.

"We've clearly seen over the years a fairly significant link," said Sgt. Scott Friedlein, who oversees the department's alcohol enforcement program. "As you do alcohol enforcement, you reduce other types of crimes. Kids are saying, 'Maybe I need to be a little bit more sober, not go out as often and put myself at risk.'"

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[JVS]

1. You know, i was thinking of that very city when I read the thread title.

It's an industry there.

[Hello_Kitty]

2. If the enforcement is not revenue-driven, then why the need to even mention it?

I'm not opposed to fining people for bad behavior but it should never be the basis for running your government.