The liquor control board in Prince George’s County will be proactive in enforcing a new law that makes people who purchase kegs easier to identify, said Franklin Jackson, the chairman of the Board of License Commissioners.
But Jackson said he “can’t speculate” on whether the new law, which went into effect July 1, will deter underage drinking at keg parties – part of its reason for being passed and signed in May.
“If it does, that would be very good,” Jackson said.
Thanks to the new law, 31 part-time inspectors under Chief Liquor Inspector Norma Lindsey will target keg retailers to “make sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to do,” Jackson said.
In Prince George’s County, employees at stores that rent kegs must complete registration forms with the date and the customer’s name and address, as well as the identification number and date of issue of an identification form, such as a driver’s license. In the rest of the state, the customer provides identification but does not record the card’s information on the form.
In both instances, keg retailers must keep registration forms for 30 days, and the forms are subject to inspection.
The stricter rules were originally proposed statewide but later only adopted in Prince George’s County.
Sgt. Philip Tou of University Police said he has yet to see the new forms, but the new forms make the law more practical.
“When you talk about this law, what it’s for, it wasn’t doing what it’s supposed to do,” said Tou, a strong supporter in the early stages of the legislation.
People who purchased kegs used at parties with underage drinkers have always been held accountable, and Tou – who said he has charged people for the crime before – said this new law will help make those people easier to find.
Henry Tippett, a county police spokesman said he would hope the law would decrease the number of keg parties that go on but added that officers haven’t had to do anything enforcement-wise to adjust to the changes.
Sue Chun, owner of Parkway Liquors, said she didn’t anticipate any problems with the changes.
But Bobby Cook, a cashier at Number 1 Liquors, said his store hadn’t even received the new forms yet. Whether the law will deter underage drinking, he said, “all depends how far they go with it.”
District 2 College Park City Councilman Bob Catlin said it would take a few months to determine the effectiveness of the changes.
“The old form made enforcement difficult; they thought this would let them investigate some party issues better if they had to,” he said. “I would have to expect that it would be some improvement.”
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