Paul A. Nikas, Chief of Police
15 Elm St.
Ipswich, MA 01938
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Ipswich Police Department Announces Alcohol Compliance Checks for Businesses
IPSWICH — Chief Paul A. Nikas and the Ipswich Police Department are committed to emphasizing the importance of alcohol compliance checks of establishments licensed to serve alcohol in our community. To meet this commitment, the Ipswich Police Department applied for and received a grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Highway Safety Division to conduct these inspections this year.
These inspections will begin this month and continue through the summer. Licensed establishments should contact the Ipswich Police Department if they need assistance in maintaining compliance with the provisions of the issued license or the law.
“As Prom season and the summer months approach, I would like to remind everyone that selling, serving or providing alcoholic beverages to minors is a crime,” Chief Nikas said. “Ipswich has experienced tragedies in the past involving youth and alcohol, and we aim to create a culture among our licensed establishments in which compliance with the provisions of their liquor license and adherence to the law is among their highest priorities.”
Alcohol compliance checks are vital to ensuring that businesses adhere to the laws pertaining to the sale of alcohol, especially in cases of underage drinking. Alcohol use by minors is linked to increased motor vehicle accidents, crime, and poor performance in school. It is imperative that establishments licensed to sell alcohol and liquor continue to abide by the laws and regulations of their license in order to keep our community safe.
Any loss or injury on our roadways is one too many. The Ipswich Police Department recognizes that traffic crashes and underage drinking are preventable. We are committed to reducing the number of motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries resulting from these crashes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) research shows motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death nationally among young drivers ages 15 to 20. Young drivers lack driving experience and have difficulty scanning their environments to detect imminent hazards. Coupling alcohol with these limitations worsens these driving weaknesses; additionally, after drinking, young drivers tend to engage in other risky behaviors such as speeding, texting while driving, running red lights, making illegal turns, and not wearing seat belts. According to NHTSA, in 2010, nationwide, 30% of 15 to 20-year-olds who were killed in crashes had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .01 or higher; 25% had a BAC of .08 or higher.
“As an organization dedicated to public safety, we believe that the safety of our youth is paramount,” Chief Nikas said, “and we look forward to working with the licensed establishments while conducting these compliance checks to prevent the sale of alcohol to minors.”
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