DOUGLAS - In order to reduce Wyoming's alcohol abuse problem and the law enforcement and social issues that accompany it, policy makers have to stop treating the symptoms and focus on prevention.

That's the message being spread among key leaders in five Wyoming communities selected as pilot projects for Communities in Action, a new initiative by the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs.

"We're kind of the front line, but we're not necessarily the solution," said Byron Oedekoven, executive director for WASC. Stakeholders have to set the tone together.

The initiative has now been launched in the five communities selected for size, location and the level of commitment offered by the chiefs of police. Casper, Gillette, Rock Springs, Douglas and Powell have sponsored forums for policy makers and will develop, implement and track strategies to cut down on underage drinking and adult alcohol-related problems.

Each city will receive $10,000 from WASC for police overtime to fund some of those strategies, such as party patrols and source investigations to determine where kids are getting alcohol. If communities need more funding, that will be made available, initiative manager Ernie Johnson said.

Through a separate grant from the state Department of Revenue's liquor division, $10,000 worth of home alcohol test kits will be distributed in communities. The kits are available for parents who want to test their children for alcohol and drugs at home, without initially involving law enforcement.

Over 16 months, each community will track what actions it takes and how those work out. Ideally, the pilot successes will form a model other Wyoming communities can adopt to decrease underage drinking and alcohol-related problems, Johnson said.

At the same time, Johnson urged state lawmakers to overhaul state statutes during an interim study. Among other items, the WASC would like to see more clear definitions of possession and consumption; mandatory responsible beverage server training; penalties for over-service; and higher consequences for people found guilty of driving under the influence with exceptionally high blood-alcohol levels.

Along with diversity in size and location, each of the five pilot communities has its own particular needs. For example, 83 percent of all arrests made in Gillette in the past six months involve alcohol, Johnson said. Rock Springs is facing complications resulting from the energy boom.

Early intervention

In Casper, Chief Tom Pagel said the alcohol problem among adults and juveniles is unacceptably high.

"The picture and the problem get even greater than the alcohol use when you look at the way juveniles or anyone make bad decisions," he said. Alcohol use tends to lead to criminal behavior and risky sexual behavior.

"When you deal with youth alcohol issues, it is a much bigger picture than a kid just having a beer," he said. "And almost any study will tell you that the earlier and stronger intervention you have in youth activity, the more successful you will be in impacting future behavior. We know we have to do this early."

As a pilot community, he wants to focus on early intervention by using diversion officers to monitor first-time juvenile offenders. Pagel said money from a foundation is going to fund a coordinator for community service for young offenders, offering an opportunity for kids to actually make a positive difference in their community. The police department and partners are also seeking ways to involve youth in getting the anti-drinking message out, and to offer alternatives such as dances.

But at its roots, Pagel said, is the teamwork involved. He has social service agencies, law enforcement, educators, the justice system and more on board.

"It's not a police problem, it's not a school problem, it's not a court problem," Pagel said. "It's a societal problem. There has to be good commitment, and they all have to coordinate their efforts. That's when we can make the difference."

Keeping up

In western Wyoming, Rock Springs is booming. In 2002, the police department fielded 32,000 calls for service. So far this year, the department has recorded 72,000 calls - compare that with the Casper Police Department's 60,000 calls. And that's 20 to 30 percent more calls than Cheyenne police receive, with double the number of officers, Rock Springs Police Chief Mike Lowell said.

The problems go beyond high call volumes, he added. Recent compliance checks at bars and liquor stores revealed a 50 percent failure rate, even with advance notification of the checks. In one instance, someone sold alcohol to an underage customer with two uniformed police officers in the building. He's frustrated with the apparent lack of progress in changing community norms.

"This is just nonsense," Lowell said. "All this work and effort we've been putting in, and we haven't done anything."

He believes the best tool his community has is diversion for juveniles.

"The answer is to get them at the first offense and put them through a program that is particularly onerous," Lowell said.

With Rock Springs as a pilot community, Lowell is coordinating with municipal judges to fund a diversion officer to follow juvenile cases. Kids don't yet realize the future ramifications of DUI or other charges on college applications, resumes and more, Lowell said. He'd like to give young offenders a chance to set things right by offering consequences followed by, on completion, wiping citations off their records.

Lowell is also investigating mandatory carding rules, which many local liquor dealers support, he said.