Making it mandatory
By Donna Barker
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dbarker@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — About 30 area community leaders and law enforcement officers attended a meeting Thursday to learn about mandatory training for liquor license holders and their employees.
The Bureau/Putnam County CPASA (Community Partners Against Substance Abuse) group hosted the two-hour meeting at the Bureau County Health Department. Among the speakers were representatives from the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC), the BASSET training program, and the Illinois State Police, as well as Princeton Police Chief Tom Root and Bureau County Sheriff John Thompson.
In his presentation, ILCC education manager Ted Penesi said mandatory training for liquor-license holders and their employees is beneficial to the businesses as well as to the general safety and well-being of the public. Mandatory training, such as the Beverage Alcohol Servers and Sellers Education Training (BASSET) can also result in a reduction in insurance costs for those establishments.
The idea behind mandatory training is not to beat license holders over the head but to help them, BASSET Director Lee Roupas said. By being trained, liquor license holders and their employees will know their responsibilities and options, which should help keep them from getting into situations in which they could be fined, jailed or even lose their jobs.
Princeton Police Chief Tom Root said the city of Princeton implemented mandatory BASSET training about seven years ago. At that time, the police department had seen an increase in underage drinking, illegal possession and consumption of alcohol, underage drinking parties, DUI arrests and alcohol-related domestic abuse cases. Recognizing the need for mandatory training is the first step, he said.
Working with the Communities Can substance abuse program and the Bureau County Health Department, the Princeton Police Department met with area liquor license holders to talk about the benefits of training for all involved. The Princeton City Council unanimously approved the mandatory training ordinance in May 2002.
"With mandatory training now in place, it made it much easier to get full and total compliance from the server, sellers and owners," Root said. "Since the implementation of the ordinance, we have seen a reduction in underage drinking, especially those attempting to get served with fake IDs. We've also seen a reduction in possession and consumption, and a reduction in the number of DUI arrests. Princeton’s a much safer place to live now."
Root encouraged other mayors to present similar ordinances for their communities.
