Students heading to Downtown Binghamton this semester may notice an increase in police presence, especially around and inside popular bars.
According to Binghamton Police Chief (BPD) Joseph Zikuski, efforts to prevent underage drinking and fake ID use will increase.
“While student safety remains our top concern, cracking down on underage drinking will be a focus of Binghamton Police officers in Downtown Binghamton this fall,” Zikuski said. “In coordination with the New York State Liquor Authority, BPD will work with taverns and restaurants to prevent underage alcohol consumption. This will include random sweeps to enforce fake ID laws.”
This increase in monitoring coincides with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that he plans to combat underage drinking on New York state college campuses and in college towns.
“Underage drinking can lead to life-altering consequences for college students, and as the fall semester gets underway, we are working to educate college students about this reckless behavior,” Gov. Cuomo said in a press release. “These coordinated efforts will build on our progress to help avoid needless tragedies and create a safer learning environment on campuses statewide.”
Cuomo’s initiative is a partnership between the New York state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, the New York State Liquor Authority, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and the New York State Police. The program will also offer training for bar and restaurant staff in college towns to educate owners and employees on the legal responsibilities associated with alcohol sales.
Dylan Markowitz, a senior double majoring in geography and geology, works as a bouncer at a bar Downtown. According to him, there has been a noticeable change in police monitoring on State Street.
“As we have more pressure from local police, we have to be more careful,” Markowitz said. “Cops have been increasing their presence from the street to inside the bars.”
Markowitz added that although the crackdown has been noticeable, it has not sparked any changes in patron monitoring practices. According to him, Downtown bars do their best to limit underage drinking, but mistakes can happen.
“There hasn’t been a change on our instruction but there has been a change in the enforcement of those instructions,” Markowitz said. “Bouncers are trained to do their job of checking IDs, but sometimes things slip through the cracks.”