This first of its kind joint
operation is aimed at reducing alcohol-related crimes and violence in San Diego and
Tijuana. Both police departments are beefing-up enforcement of alcohol laws with
strategically located DUI enforcement activities, underage I.D. checking and sobriety
checks for pedestrians who are heavily intoxicated.
The San Diego Police, the Tijuana Police and the Institute for Health
Advocacy (IHA) announced the formation of this action-based task force as one component of
a multifaceted project spearheaded by IHA. The Project integrates a public health and
safety approach, based on scientific data, to reduce alcohol-related problems in these
border cities by engaging broad-based community participation. More than 9,000 young US
drinkers party in Tijuana on an average Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night, and more
than 1,000 return to San Diego each night too intoxicated to legally drive, according to
research conducted by IHA. Young drinkers, under 21 represent half of the problem. Very
heavy drinkers, both over and under 21, represent the rest of the problem.
"We know from experience that spring break means there will be
even more college students drinking heavily in Tijuana and other Baja destinations during
spring break," said Captain Adolfo Gonzales of the San Diego Police Department’s
Southern Division. "So, students planning a drinking trip south of the border should
consider themselves warned."
"We welcome U.S. college students to Tijuana as long as they
understand and respect our laws and abide by them, " said Juan Manuel Nieves, Tijuana
Chief of Police. "Our police officers will be enforcing our laws and will take
appropriate action. We are confident that through this task force we can coordinate future
enforcement activities and find regional solutions to problems we share as border
neighbors."
Early findings from IHA’s research show that late night crossers
who are college students are from the following campuses: 31% from San Diego State
University, 25% from the University of California San Diego, 7% from Grossmont College, 7%
from Palomar College, 6% from Mesa College, and 20% from other local community colleges.
IHA researchers stress that these results are based on early sampling over a six-month
period during 1997. The survey will continue to provide updated information as more
interviews are conducted.
"On behalf of SDSU’s Prevention Partnership Project we applaud this
cooperative law enforcement operation. We are gratified to know that Mexican officials are
our partners in reducing this widespread problem," said Marian Novak, SDSU’s
Prevention Partnership Project Coordinator. "We at SDSU have recognized the gravity
of this problem. We are taking vigorous action to change community norms about alcohol use
on and off campus. We are investing substantial resources to combat this problem. We look
forward to working closely with this task force and other campuses to find
solutions."
Tijuana police activities over spring break will focus on: driving under the influence
of alcohol or drugs (a felony), drinking in public, disturbing the peace or being a public
nuisance, fighting, and urinating in public. Tijuana Police routinely find youth
possessing, consuming or importing drugs in relation to contact with other violations.
These are felony violations under Mexican law.
Youthful appearing tourists hoping to travel into Mexico may be
expected to show identification proving that they are at least 18 years old, or have a
notarized letter of permission from a parent or legal guardian. Anyone arriving at the
U.S. border check point without it will be turned away by police. Police routinely send a
letter home to the parents of would-be crossers to let them know what their teen was
attempting to do. Also, beginning at 10 p.m., police officers will detain underage curfew
violators until they are picked up by their parents.
Tijuana Police and Bar licensing Inspectors will be checking
identifications. They were trained this week by Gene Barnes, District Administrator for
the Alcoholic Beverage Control of California, to recognize legal identification cards from
the U.S.. Their training also included recognizing how to avoid service to already
intoxicated persons. "We’ve found this type of training to be highly successful
in San Diego County," said Barnes. "When Tijuana officials asked for similar
training, we were glad to cooperate. We plan to continue with monthly training workshops
through June and quarterly thereafter."
Enforcement efforts for partiers returning across the border from
Tijuana at night will include detention of pedestrians obviously too intoxicated to care
for themselves, in addition to the traditional vehicle sobriety checks we’ve come to
expect. "Stopping pedestrians who are too drunk to drive will help save lives,"
says Lilliana Flores, San Diego County MADD’s Diversity Coordinator.
"This first cooperative operation is a turning point in addressing
the growing community concern and involvement regarding underage and binge drinking in
Tijuana and other Baja destinations," said Gonzales. Through this task force, the San
Diego Police and the Tijuana Police will coordinate future operations and develop
long-term strategies to enforce alcohol-related laws on both sides of the border.
Over the next two weekends, Operation Safe Crossing, a
multi-agency task force that includes the San Diego Police, CHP, Alcoholic Beverage
Control, INS, U.S. Customs, and U.S. Border Patrol will be joined by Tijuana law
enforcement. The following community organizations are among the many who are taking an
active role in the Border Project: MADD’s Youth in Action, San Diego County
Youth Leadership Council, San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce, Friday Night Live (sponsored by
the San Diego County Office of Education); South Bay’s Reach Out to Youth &
Families, Paradise Valley Hospital’s Partners for Prevention and El Cajon
Communities Against Substance Abuse. Volunteers from these and other organizations
will be at the border crossing over spring break passing out information about the laws in
Mexico and California’s Zero Tolerance laws for underage drinking.
Other strategies used to reduce this widespread problem include:
fostering community participation, educating students and parents about the issue, and
supporting high visibility police enforcement of existing laws.
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