Police chief's new policy addresses underage drinking
By Ken Powers Contributing Writer

Southborough - According to Southborough Police Chief Bill Webber, the past two years have seen a continuing rise in underage drinking incidents in town.

"There has definitely been an increase in the number of parties involving kids and alcohol this year, no question," Webber said. "There have been more and more situations where alcohol and underage drinking has been a factor, especially on the weekends."

As a result, Webber presented to the Board of Selectmen at its Nov. 6 meeting a new policy regarding underage drinkers and how to handle them. The selectmen endorsed the policy.

The policy, Webber explained, gives police officers at the scene of an incident flexibility in how to best handle the situation.

"That flexibility is necessary because each case is diff erent and needs to be handled on it own circumstances," Webber said.

Specifically, officers at the scene will have the discretion to decide whether to handle each underage drinking incident as a criminal or noncriminal action.

"It gives the police officer or officers at the scene options. Each incident doesn't have to be considered a criminal act, but that doesn't mean violations are going to be taken lightly," Webber said. "Our goal is to get the kids home safe and to inform parents about what has happened. If there are occasions when an incident requires criminal charges be filed, then criminal charges will be filed."

Webber said the policy uses parts of the Massachusetts General Laws and incorporates Southborough town bylaws as well, making the policy very specific to Southborough.

Webber said Northborough Police Chief Mark Leahy and Westborough Police Chief Alan Gordon have both reviewed copies of the policy.

When Webber first presented an underage drinking policy to the Board of Selectmen about a year ago, the selectmen objected to the part that would require the Police Department to notify the Department of Social Services (DSS) of each incident.

"The selectmen had problems with the part of the policy that said the department would contact DSS on an incident-by-incident basis," Webber said. "We still have that option available to us, but it is no longer a major part of the policy."

Webber said the policy will be posted on the Southborough Police Department's Web site in the near future.