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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In 1993, Arkansas legislators enacted an underage impaired driving
law making it illegal for motorists under the age of 21 to drive with
a blood alcohol concentration of .02 BAC or greater. Since that time,
2,000 youthful motorists have been convicted of impaired driving. In
1996, youth under age 21 accounted for 11 percent of convicted impaired
drivers, while representing only 8 percent of Arkansas' driving population.
During this same year, underage youth were involved in 21 percent (49
of 228) of alcohol-related crash fatalities statewide. There are currently
5,500 licensed alcohol sales outlets in Arkansas, and only 16 Alcohol
Beverage Control agents to regulate underage alcohol sales.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
To help reduce alcohol-related traffic crashes among youthful
drivers in Arkansas, the Traffic Safety Section of the Arkansas State
Highway and Transportation Department teamed with the Enforcement Division
of the State Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) agency to initiate the Underage
Surveillance and Enforcement program in 1998. Objectives of the program
are to:
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Conduct surveillance and enforcement activities throughout the
state, at locations where alcohol is sold
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Purchase surveillance equipment for use by ABC agents
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Establish a statewide toll-free telephone hotline to assist officers
in the detection, identification and arrest of all those involved
in the illegal sale of alcohol to minors, as well as individuals
under the age of 21 with alcohol in their possession
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
Under the terms of the contract between the Arkansas State Highway
and Transportation Department and the state ABC board, ABC agents provided
on-site surveillance of licensed establishments suspected of selling
alcohol to minors. To provide Arkansas citizens with a convenient and
confidential means of reporting the illegal sale of alcohol to minors
by retailers, private clubs and bootleggers, a 24-hour toll-free telephone
hotline connected to the office of the ABC was installed. In response
to these telephone contacts and other citizen complaints, ABC agents
initiated surveillance activities at drive-up windows, bars, restaurants,
convenience stores and private clubs. These activities included:
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Providing agents with concealed surveillance cameras, recorders
and night vision binoculars, to help document alcohol sales to minors
in "sting" operations
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Carefully selecting and training underage youth to attempt to
purchase alcohol at liquor and convenience stores, while equipped
with concealed cameras and microphones. Cameras were concealed in
cellular telephones and paging devices
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ABC agents accompanied trained youth to licensed alcohol establishments,
then remained in their vehicles to observe and record sales and
attempted sales on a videocassette recorder
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To assist ABC agents in planning and scheduling enforcement activities,
three unmanned 24-hour activity recording systems were installed
at selected establishments. These video monitors determined the
volume of business at certain times and locations statewide, and
identified the approximate ages of patrons at these retail outlets
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Two outdoor advertising firms donated space on 80 billboards to
promote the Underage Surveillance and Enforcement program, and the
media provided extensive radio, television and press coverage
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