Weighing the 'Street'

For Lance Liverman, the benefits of a possible alcohol ordinance allowing police to cite underage drinkers on private property are few, and the drawbacks pose serious dangers of which he and the Princeton Human Services Commission are wary.

"The main reason we are against the ordinance is that it simply penalizes the individual by issuing a financial fine," said Liverman, co-chairman of the commission, which oversees the youth, senior citizen, welfare and civil rights departments in the Borough and Township. "After that there is no aftercare, no follow up."

The Human Services Commission along with the Princeton Alcohol and Drug Alliance are heading an effort to keep the ordinance from becoming law.

These programs, which advocate counseling rather than punishing substance abusers, have raised concerns about the effectiveness and dangers of such an ordinance.

"By putting in an ordinance like this, it can be damaging for many reasons," Liverman said. "A student could hesitate to get attention."

Liverman also questions the fairness of applying the same fine to all violators. The ordinance would carry a fine of $250 for first offenders and $350 for second offenders in addition to other penalties.

But the flat charge could create problems in Princeton's economically diverse community, Liverman said.

"A $250 fine for an affluent family is like a slap on the wrist, but for a family barely making it, it's going to really cripple it."

Liverman's co-chairman Marge Smith agrees with the concerns about the ordinance.

"We're a little surprised that this is going to be reintroduced," she said a few weeks ago. "It was our understanding that it was not. I don't know why it's appearing again."

The Human Services Commission and PADA were asked to examine the ordinance in the fall and to make a recommendation to the Borough Council's public safety committee. PADA expressed opposition to the ordinance in December, and the Human Services Commission decided not to support it at its March 21 meeting.

Though Liverman said representatives from the commission will attend this morning's meeting, members of the commission will not be able to vote on whether the public safety committee recommends the ordinance to the full council.

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With more information about underage drinking violations at the eating clubs reaching the public, some committee members have shifted their opinions and are more inclined to support it.

Liverman and Smith, however, are likely to stand in their way.

"It doesn't serve as a deterrent for drinking," Liverman said.