Stopping Croton Underage Drinking

People in Croton-on-Hudson are banding together to stop underage drinking in the village.  Workers from four Croton restaurants got together to receive training on techniques that help employees prevent underage alcohol consumption.  Employees at Justin Thyme, Umami Café, Friends Bar and Grill and The Tavern at Croton Landing took part in the five-hour training session, which was held at Justin Thyme. The Croton Community Coalition sponsored the training.

“By offering such training we help keep our Croton kids safe while giving the Croton business community the information and training they need to prevent alcohol consumption by teens and excessive alcohol consumption by adults," said Croton Community Coalition Coordinator Wayne Francis. "It’s a win-win for the entire community and is directly in keeping with our mission."

 Croton-on-Hudson Police Department Detective Cliff Gabrielsen was the instructor at the training session. Gabrielsen says the effort is all about thinking ahead.

"This is a proactive effort to educate the employees of establishments about the responsible and legal sale of alcohol and to build a positive relationship with those merchants,” said Gabrielsen.

The training is called "TIPS," which stands for Training for Intervention Procedures. Three years ago, the Croton Community Coalition funded Detective Gabrielsen's TIPS training certification.

Those who took part in the training had to pass a test at the end of the session so they could become certified program graduates. The workers from all four Croton establishments passed the quiz.

Croton Community Coalition Coordinator Wayne Francis says that the effort hinges on community members, businesses and police working together to prevent underage drinking.

“Restaurant employees, deli workers and other retailers can play a very important role in identifying and preventing the sale and consumption of alcohol by minors in our community," said Francis. "We appreciate the business owners who see a tremendous value in this type of training."