12D - THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OFFTHEHILL
MONDAY.AUG.20,2001
MIPs: Officers attempt to curb underage drinking
THAD ALLENDER/KANSAN
Underage drinking is a crime many young people commit. Few are ever caught, however. This Class C misdemeanor can place first time offenders on diversion, suspend their driver's license or put them behind bars.
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an additional midemeanor charge when someone is caught drinking underage. Tonkovich said.
"If you are in possession of an ID that is clearly falsely manufactured, chances are that you are going to be looked at more critically because you may have access to and be able to provide information about the person who is manufacturing IDs." Tonkovich said.
In the eyes of the law, possession of any identification other than your own is a misdemeanor, Tonkovich said.
Some bars in Lawrence rely on the eyes of employees at the door to weed out the underage crowd while others have scanners and cameras.
Louise's Downtown, 1009 Massachusetts St., is well known for taking fake IDs and playing them on the wall for anyone to see. The nearly 540 IDs posted are to serve as a hindrance to anyone underage who might trv to drink there.
"We take IDs because if we don't, they will use them somewhere else," said Adam Mansfield, manager of Louise's.
Most people don't put up a fight when they have their IDs taken at Louise's because they know they have done something wrong, Mansfield said. However, some tru to keep their IDs.
"We have kids come in who insist their IDs are real and tell us to go ahead and call the cops. When the cop gets there, the kid will take off running." Mansfield said.
Pat Munshrush, assistant manager of The Sandbar, 17 E. Eighth St., said, "We use a scanner to check if a license is valid, and we have a camera to take a picture of the ID."
The Sandbar never has been cited for allowing underage drinking.
Halsted of the Lawrence police said the police usually don't look at the tapes unless someone commits a crime at the bar.
There is not a big difference
between the bars that allow people to enter at 18 and the bars that are strictly 21 and over, Halsted said. The bars that allow 18-year-olds inside do have more MIPs issued than the other bars.
"Underage people can get inside without any problems. When they are in, they can ask someone who is 21 to buy them a drink. That's when it becomes a problem," Halsted said.
No matter what age group is allowed or how hard the IDs are checked at the door, someone may be watching from inside without offenders knowing it.
The Alcoholic Beverage Control agents are in plain clothes and have the job of watching who is drinking alcohol and who is serving it.
"Most of the time we are in and out, and no one knows we are
there," said Shannon Mlynan, enforcement chief of the ABC.
The ABC officers spend most of their time in college towns and at events where alcohol and underage people can be found together, such as concerts.
Throughout the state last year, the ABC found a 77 percent compliance rate with liquor laws in bars and liquor stores.
The ABC has a schedule of
when it will head to certain college towns and events, including the beginning of the school year.
Thoughts of ABC officers and police officers at bars no longer cause Finnigan or Flanagan to worry about their nights out. They don't have to look over their shoulders or use fake IDs. They are now of legal drinking
"When everyone enrolls, we do too." Mlynar said.
age. Their old worries have been passed to new generations of underage drinkers moving to Lawrence each fall.
Carter can be reached at 864-4810 or writer@kansan.com
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