Pubdate: Sun, 19 Dec 2004
Source: Bismarck Tribune (ND)
Copyright: 2004 The Bismarck Tribune
Contact:  http://www.ndonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/47
Author: Frederic Smith, for the Tribune
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

DO WE MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR YOUNG?

Can there be such a thing as too much law enforcement?

Maybe not, where the laws are good and necessary ones. Certainly, the
Tribune believes that laws concerning minors and alcohol, and laws
concerning illegal drugs and everybody, fall into that category. But
consider three special law-enforcement "busts" that took place locally
within the space of seven days.

* On Dec. 3, the Bismarck and Mandan police departments and the
Burleigh County sheriff's office had a dozen high-school and college
students, ages 18 to 20 years, try to buy alcohol at 102 local bars,
restaurants and package stores. The students, all underage, succeeded
at 68 of them.

The Tribune story ran Dec. 8.

* The next night, a Saturday, five plainclothes Bismarck police
officers in unmarked cars staked out the parking lots of liquor stores
to watch for illegal or suspicious activity. Five uniformed officers
in marked cars were parked nearby, to make traffic stops.

The special patrol is activated about six times a year "during major
events that attract underage drinkers," wrote Tribune reporter Mike
Albrecht. This time, the occasion was the last Saturday before
semester tests -- party time.

Three juveniles and 13 adults were cited for offenses such as delivery
of alcohol to a minor, driving under the influence, minor in
possession and minor in a liquor establishment. After closing time,
the officers busted some loud parties, arresting nine minors for
consumption or possession.

The Tribune story ran Dec. 7.

* On Dec. 9, in a statewide "training event" for drug dogs hosted by
the state Highway Patrol and the Bismarck Police Department, the dogs
sniffed out every car in the lots at Century High School and within
three blocks of Bismarck High School. A half-dozen vehicles were searched.

"A 'minuscule' amount of marijuana, a bottle of vodka, a can of beer
and two packs of cigarettes were found," wrote reporter Albrecht. Two
juveniles were cited for alcohol and tobacco violations.

The Tribune story ran Dec. 10.

In the first two cases, law enforcement's instincts were obviously
right on. In the third, one can argue that the dogs have to practice
someplace; but, particularly in light of the kids having come off
pretty well, did it have to be at the high schools? A check of
downtown parking lots might have uncovered more mischief, and spared
Bismarck kids the insult.

The concern with such concentrated official attention to kids and
young adults, resulting in three newspaper stories in four days, is
the message of no trust -- even, to a certain mindset, of
persecution.

This is not the message we should be giving people -- young people --
whose flight to other states is the object of not just state concern
but, at times, near-despair. Yes, everybody is supposed to obey the
law, young people included. It happens that all states, not just North
Dakota, give young people more laws -- some relating to alcohol and
tobacco -- to run afoul of than older people.

This suggests the necessity of a certain deftness of touch, and not
just by law enforcement, if we are not to be seen as singling out one
category of people for special, unwelcome, treatment.

The Tribune knows that nobody has set out to make life difficult for
young people. But that can be the effect -- or, at least, the
appearance -- when too many events like those of Dec. 3-9 begin to
stack up.

We should all give some thought to appearances. That's
all.
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MAP posted-by: Derek