Partygoers beware: the Albuquerque Police Department's Party Patrol is up and running again after a renewed commitment by the city to fund the program.
Nick Bakas, the city's chief public safety officer, said the city will spend $100,000 to $200,000 to revamp the 2-year-old program, which ran out of money early in the summer.
Since then, officers have responded to parties only when they were available to, he said.
"The program has had a significant impact in curbing violence and underage drinking in the city," Bakas said. "It's a valuable asset to the Albuquerque Police Department and its efforts to reduce crime."
Mayor Martin Ch†vez announced the plan to give new life to the Party Patrol on Monday outside City Hall.
We are committed to doing our part to reduce underage drinking in Albuquerque, Ch†vez said. We will go to any lengths to keep programs like this alive.
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Bakas said funding for the program will come in part from recent changes in traffic court procedures. Police officers no longer have to attend court appearances, saving the department overtime pay that can fund the Party Patrol.
He said APD has also strived to cut down on the amount of overtime its officers earn, leaving its revenue "in the black" for the first time in history.
"We've spent $1.2 million less than this time last year, allowing us the freedom to nurture these programs which can benefit the city greatly," Bakas said. "The success of the program speaks for itself, our communities are safer now as a result of the Party Patrol."
Started by Albuquerque's City Council, the Party Patrol started in 2001, funded solely by federal grants.
Officers have broken up more than 500 parties where underage people were drinking and have written more than 3,300 citations for a variety of misdemeanor alcohol offenses, said Trish Ahrensfield, an APD spokeswoman.
Party Patrol has also seized 15 illegal handguns, she said.
"The program's success was growing dramatically before it was ended this summer," Ahrensfield said. "There were significantly less DWIs in the city and the fear of the Party Patrol was enough to deter many underage people from attending parties where alcohol was present."
Ahrensfield said both the city and APD are excited about the revitalization of the Party Patrol because it is more of an educational program than a police agency.
When minors are given a citation by the Party Patrol, both they and their parents must begin attending programs designed to educate them about the dangers of alcohol, she said.
"Plus, citations given by the Party Patrol are never put on a person's permanent criminal records, giving them every incentive to learn from their mistake," Arhensfield said.
She said, though, adults caught at parties where minors are in attendance face the possibility of being charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, which is a fourth-degree felony.
Bakas said he hopes the funds will be enough to keep the program alive until the city finds more substantial federal grants.
"We are willing to tighten our belt to invest in worthwhile projects like the Party Patrol," he said.
