Alcoholism and Law Enforcement

Abstract

The responsibility of the progressive law enforcement agency is to gain compliance with laws that promote harmony in society. Alcohol tends ,to alter the attitudes of otherwise law-abiding citizens so that there is a high correlation between the excessive use of alcohol and antisocial behavior. Laws in the criminal code dealing with alcohol fall roughly into four categories—those dealing directly with public safety, those that reflect moral at titudes, those reflecting the attitudes of loud minorities, and those dealing with the licensing, revenue, or sale of alcoholic beverages. From the standpoint of the general law enforcement agency, the only laws worthy of energetic enforcement are those dealing with public safety. The others are usually enforced by agencies with special and limited jurisdiction.