North Reading Police Department to Conduct Alcohol Compliance Checks

Police Chief Mark Zimmerman reports that the North Reading Police Department will conduct random checks of premises licensed to sell alcohol, to ensure that they are in compliance with local and state alcohol regulations. These checks are being done in an effort to restrict the availability of alcohol to minors.

Chief Zimmerman said, “With graduation season coming, the department is being proactive in its approach to dealing with something that we recognize in every city and town, underage drinking.”

“Enforcement actions,” he added, “Are not related to any specific rise or spike in underage drinking in North Reading.” In fact, underage alcohol statistics in North Reading show a decline. In April this year, students in grades six through twelve participated in the Core Measurement Survey. Drug-Free
Communities Director Amy Luckiewicz reported, “The survey results showed a decline of 13.82% in underage alcohol use since 2023.”

Luckiewicz is also authorized by the Select Board to check on the training offered to alcohol servers. “Thorough and professional training is very important to prevention. Proper training programs for alcohol servers include information on how to properly check IDs, information on how to
prevent overserving, and how to de-escalate customers who drank too much.” In North Reading, every person who serves, bartends or takes orders for alcohol must have a proper alcohol serving training prior to serving alcohol or taking orders.

"These initiatives are not one-offs," Chief Zimmerman said. “The North Reading Police Department has trained our officers in the procedures used to conduct lawful alcohol compliance checks of establishments licensed to serve alcohol, and these checks will continue as a routine part of the Department's crime prevention efforts.”

Luckiewicz added, “No single approach will entirely solve the problem of underage drinking. We employ seven strategies through our federal grant and work closely with our community partners to
complete prevention projects that have real impact.”