Photo Courtesy of the Governor’s Office
Governor Cuomo detailed the record results of the year-round Operation Prevent initiative.
By Forum Staff
Underage drinking sweeps conducted by State Department of Motor Vehicle investigators in 2016 resulted in the seizure of 862 fraudulent licenses and the arrest of 818 individuals for underage drinking, both single year records, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last Thursday.
The previous record of 751 seized ID documents and 758 arrests was set in 2015.
Through the year-round Operation Prevent initiative, DMV investigators work with state and local law enforcement agencies to conduct underage drinking and fake ID sweeps at bars, restaurants, and concert venues across the Empire State. Individuals under the age of 21 using fake IDs or false documents with the intent to purchase alcohol can be arrested and have their license revoked for a minimum of 90 days or up to one year.
“Underage drinking and fake IDs are not only illegal, but often lead to bad decisions that could have life-altering consequences,” Cuomo said. “These enforcement efforts protect young New Yorkers, help prevent unnecessary tragedies, while increasing safety on our roads and our communities.”
Of the six DMV Investigative regions, NYC had the least amount of arrests (17) and fake IDs seized (16)—by far. Each of the other five regions – Capital, Western NY, Long Island, Finger Lakes, Central NY – had more than 100 arrests and fake IDs seized. In Central NY (Broome, Cayuga, Cortland, Jefferson, Onandaga, Oswego, Tioga, Tompkins) authorities made 217 arrests and confiscated 206 fraudulent licenses.
“Our investigators performed a record number of arrests and license seizures in 2016, and in the process kept New York’s roads safer,” said DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner Terri Egan. “No matter the season or time of year, DMV is hard at work on our ‘Operation Prevent’ initiative, which has proven to be a very effective tool in deterring high risk behaviors. I thank Governor Cuomo and our partners at the state and local levels for their continued support of our efforts to prevent underage drinking.”
The investigations are funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. Motor Vehicles also conducts operations at summer concerts, and at the request of bar owners, law enforcement, and the State Liquor Authority in larger cities and college towns.
Additionally, Cuomo noted that the SLA continues to aggressively enforce underage drinking laws and provide education and training to licensees. In 2016, the Authority issued 1,051 penalties to licensed retailers for underage sales. As part of Cuomo’s coordinated effort to combat underage drinking, the SLA hosted eight day-long free compliance trainings for restaurant, bar owners and their staff across the state, with over 500 business owners and more than 750 employees receiving Alcohol Training and Awareness certification since September.
Cuomo has been focusing on deterring underage drinking and preventing the purchase of false identification documents. On Aug. 26, 2015 he warned returning college students about the dangers of purchasing fake IDs over the Internet. On June 15 of this year a crackdown at summer concerts was announced to deter underage drinking; and on Aug. 23 Cuomo detailed a coordinated interagency effort to combat underage drinking on college campuses.
