A suburb of Milwaukee is trying an innovative approach to curb underage drinking: intelligence.
Just like the NSA or the CIA (just on a smaller scale), law enforcement officials are monitoring Facebook and MySpace for "chatter" about upcoming keg parties serving minors. Plus, the ears of school teachers and administrators are open and they're relaying info to the cops. Between these two intelligence gathering avenues, cops have been able to more closely monitor the underage drinking problem.
Plus, if police learn of a party, they'll contact the property owners (usually the parents of a high schooler) to let them know what they've learned. Additionally, parents can be proactive.
If parents know they'll be leaving town, they have the option of contacting local law enforcement. The cops will then go out and place a sign in the front yard of the property where the party is to be held. The sign talks about how underage drinking is a crime, shows tombstones of 17 and 18 year olds and gives a strong anti-DWI message.
Will this approach work? Hard to say...but it certainly keeps the lines of communication open with parents, the school district and law enforcement.
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