Local institutions receive grants to curb unlawful drinking

Geof Becker welcomed the news Monday that a state grant will go toward hiring off-duty police officers to assist in the fight against underage drinking in Oakland.

“When …drinking becomes a problem, it’s a problem that has to be solved, and we really do care about these students’ health,” Becker said.

Becker, who is co-chairman of Oakwatch, a community organization that tries to police Oakland through enforcing building and liquor codes, was one of 25 members of the community who came Monday to the Oakland Career Center, located on Semple Street, to hear Pennsylvania Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, announce two state grants that will go toward fighting underage drinking in Oakland.

The Carnegie Mellon University Police Department and the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation, a community-planning organization, will each receive grants from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

The funding comes from the Board’s Alcohol Education Grant Program, which has given more than $10 million to various organizations since the program began in 1999.

“The Liquor Control Board isn’t just in the business of selling alcohol — its job is also to promote responsible alcohol use for those 21 and older,” Frankel said. 

Earlier this month, the agency announced that it will issue 61 grants this year totaling $2.14 million as part of the program. The funds will go to nonprofits, communities, law-enforcement programs, institutions of higher education and other organizations.

According to statistics from the Board, 48 percent of reported alcohol use by college students in the state is by underage individuals. Yet students noted in the report that when police stop a party, participants are sent home with minimal, if any, punishment.

The CMU Police Department will receive a grant totaling $30,000, while the grant for the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation will amount to $40,000. Both of these grants will be disbursed over a two-year period, andthe organizations that receive them will be responsible for keeping the Liquor Control Board updated on progress at the time of each disbursement.

At the press conference, Sgt. Jason Hendershot of the CMU Police Department said that 40 percent of the grant will go toward the department’s alcohol-education program, including Realize Alcohol Influences Decision-making — a week-long educational resource for incoming freshmean. An equal amount will be spent targeting problems with large parties and “dangerous drinking.” The remaining 20 percent will be spent on staff training on underage drinking recognition and appropriately dealing with such drinking in Oakland.

Wanda Wilson, the executive director of the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation, said during the press conference that the organization plans to spend its grant on hiring off-duty police officers to enforce codes that prevent underage drinking and to hire part-time staff members to educate students and landlords in the neighborhood. 

“Oakland is a diverse neighborhood with wonderful attributes beyond the image of a party neighborhood. Like neighborhoods everywhere, we have families who take pride in their homes, walk children to school bus stops, and take action about issues of concern,” Wilson said. 

Wilson said that although the organization will work with residents and with Pitt police to curb underage drinking, students will have to help.

One South Oakland resident was pleased with Frankel’s announcement. 

“I think that this is a definite step in the right direction to control the underage drinking, which has really been on the rise for the past five years,” Mark Oleniacz, who has been a resident of South Oakland since he graduated from Pitt in 1978, said.

While the grants are aimed at least partly at addressing the behavior of Pitt students living in South Oakland, Pitt Vice Chancellor for Communication Ken Service said that the University has made its own efforts to curb underage drinking among the student population.

He said that Pitt police and city police have already coordinated with one another to combat alcohol violations in Oakland and have stepped up patrols in the neighborhood.

At the beginning of this semester, Pitt released a guide aimed at teaching students to be good neighbors. Service described the guide as having been “well received.”

“Pitt has been recognized nationally for its engagement, programs and proactive approach to addressing alcohol issues,” Service said in an email.

Oleniacz said that more needs to be done to show students that they have neighbors who are older than they are and don’t want to be affected by raging parties every weekend.

“At the beginning of the school year, we had around 300 people attend our community day,” he said, referring to the South Oakland Community Day, an event that took place on Sept.7.

He added that he wanted Oakland to become a “good role model” for other areas.

Frankel left immediately after the press conference concluded, before he could answer additional questions.

“Student effort is definitely necessary, as well,” Wilson said. 

The Oakland Planning and Development Corporation will coordinate with Oakwatch, which consists of residents of Oakland who try to control underage drinking and reckless behavior by giving citations and talking to landlords about the residents living in their properties.

Becker described the group as a “tool that has as many members as there are residents that live in Oakland, allied with major institutions directly responsible for building, zoning, parking and liquor.” 

Becker said during the press conference that Oakwatch’s in partnering with the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation is to educate underage students about the dangers of drinking, so that this won’t be such a problem when they are older.

Student Government Board President Gordon Louderback said that investing money in law enforcement and education efforts in communities with large numbers of college students is a logical way to curb underage drinking across the state.

He saw the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation’s code-enforcement and education efforts as part of a broader effort to maintain good order in Oakland.

“I think it’s a collaborative effort to keep our students safe,” Louderback said.