ALCOHOL

The drinking of alcohol by minors is illegal and can endanger everyone in the community.

Although drinking is inevitable among youths, particularly college students, this does not mean that students are entitled to have enormous, loud, drunken parties.  Drunken minors endanger our community if they drive, engage in vandalism, or when they riot.

If you see minors drinking, call the Boulder Police at  303-441-333

• If the drinkers happen to CU students, you may also wish to let Vice-Chancellor of Students Ron Stump and  Matthew Lopez-Phillips (Director of CU's Office of Judicial Affairs) know of your complaint and concerns.  CU has recently initiated a three-strikes policy with regard to alcohol infractions.  Vice-Chancellor Stump and Matthew Lopez-Phillips oversees the enforcement of this policy.  (You may send both of them e-mail by clicking on this link.)  Be sure to let them know of the address of the students involved.  

• You should not assume that Vice-Chancellor Stump and Matthew Lopez-Phillips will automatically receive information when police ticket CU students for alcohol-related offenses.  We have learned that information does not flow efficiently between the Boulder Police Department and CU. Sometimes the information does not flow at all; when it does, the flow is often slow.  You can close that gap and speed the transmission of information by sending e-mail to Vice-Chancellor Stump and Matthew Lopez-Phillips.

When you call the police, be prepared to tell them where the minors are located, using the street address where possible.  (If you do not have the address, do your best; guess if necessary.)  Say, specifically, that minors are drinking alcohol.  If possible, give an estimate of the number of drinkers.  If you see that drunk persons are getting into cars and driving, mention that as well.

The police will ask if you would like to be contact by an officer.  Our experience is that you will get better and faster results from the police if you say yes.  If you prefer, you can also say that the police should stop to see you "if needed."  You can also say no if you prefer not to advertise the fact that you called cops on the party.

If you have trouble with police dispatch, please inform the Communications Manager Lonna Donin.

Note that drinking by minors is illegal.  Serving alcohol to minors is also illegal.  These crimes are misdemeanors.  However, serving alcohol to minors under the age of 18 is a Class 4 FELONY in Colorado.  The Boulder District Attorney has not prosecuted this as a felony, and consequently, the police ticket this offense as a misdemeanor.  However, Mary Keenan, the District Attorney, pledged during her campaign that she will begin to charge these offenses as felonies.  She has not kept this promise.

If you know that the party hosts are serving alcohol to persons under the age of 18, be sure to let the police know.  Ask that they issue felony tickets to the hosts.

Follow-up:    Contact the Landlord           Victim Impact Statements