POLICE DEPARTMENT
JOHN A. URBY
CHIEF OF POLICE
Dear Parent:
Each year our community is forced to deal with the harsh consequences of underage drinking. They include tragedies such as date rapes, accidental shootings, accidental drowning, deaths from alcohol poisoning, and vehicle crashes involving intoxicated drivers.
Last year (2005), the Midland Police Department investigated sixty-eight (68) vehicle crashes in which a driver was under the age of 21 and had consumed alcohol. These are the types of vehicle crashes that devastate families. They often involved late night telephone calls from the police, bearing bad news. All too often, they involve trips to the emergency room, or even worse.
As your Police Chief, I find the number of accidents, and the other problems outlined above, unacceptable. Every time one of our youth is killed or injured in an accident, I personally share in the grief, as I believe many in our community do too. I believe that as a community of responsible, caring citizens, we can have an immediate impact on this problem.
Simply put, a substantial part of the problem is availability of alcohol. Therefore, a substantial part of the solution is simply eliminating the availability. Teenagers who obtained alcohol were able to do so, because at some point, whether intentional or not, some adult made it available to them. It could have been a parent that sponsored a drinking party, a store clerk, an older friend, or just an unassuming parent who left beer in the refrigerator or liquor in a cabinet. There are three ways that, together, we can eliminate the availability of alcohol to our youth.
First, as Police Chief, I commit that the Midland Police Department will zealously investigate and seek the prosecution of any adult who intentionally makes alcohol available to a minor. Second, I ask that as a responsible citizen of our community, you will make a self-commitment today, that you will not make any alcohol available to our teenagers, and third, that you will immediately report anyone who does to the police. If, together, we do these three simple things, I am confident that next year, we will share in the good news of less alcohol related accidents and tragedies among our youth.
Although we will continue to use budgeted and grant funds to conduct stings and take enforcement action, we truly feel the community joining together with law enforcement can be so much more effective. Please join us by doing your part to address the issues surrounding the underage consumption of alcohol by the youth in our community.
Sincerely,
John A. Urby
Chief of Police
601 NORTH LORAINE · MIDLAND, TX 79701 · (432) 685-7103 · (432) 685-7585