Thursday, January 6, 2000 Older Editions

Special police unit cracks down on kids

By Neil Fater

Finding a place to party is getting a lot tougher for Andover youth who want to drink alcohol or smoke weed.

Since a special zero-tolerance police unit began cracking down on drug and alcohol use about three weeks ago, police have arrested more than three dozen people on alcohol or drug charges.

On New Year's Day, 21 out-of-town residents were arrested at the Tage Inn after police broke up a party with underage drinking. Prior to New Year's, 19 other people, including several small groups of Andover youth had been arrested and charged with illegal alcohol or drug possession.

"If you're caught with this stuff, you're going to pay the price. That means going to court, getting a record," says Andover Detective Jim Haggerty. "That's the biggest thing. There's been rumors that cops give breaks or only the boys get arrested. If you're caught smoking a joint, you're going to pay the price, so hopefully you'll think twice."

Det. Haggerty and Officer Michael Lane are the two officers assigned to the special unit currently checking known youth gathering spots for illegal drug and alcohol use.

Police Chief Brian Pattullo says he enacted the zero tolerance policy after receiving calls and letters from people complaining that drug and alcohol use had increased among Andover youth. Every member of the department has seen a memo from Pattullo calling for zero tolerance of illegal drug and alcohol use.

"We're going to be around, and I just hope the kids make the right decisions so they don't have to come in contact with me for the wrong reasons," says Haggerty. "Whatever discretion I used to have is gone now. If they're caught, they're going to be arrested."

"I won't say that we took away officer discretion, but we are focusing more on the small incidents that may lead to larger incidents," says Pattullo.

Police indicate the zero-tolerance memo issued by Pattullo has created a different attitude than existed in previous years.

"I think before, breaks may have been given out a bit, because I'm the first one to say, 'I don't want to give a 14-, 15-, 16-year-old kid a record," says Haggerty. "But, apparently, the message wasn't getting through to the kids."

The problem

While Haggerty is one of the main officers delivering the zero-policy punch, he questions those who say drug and alcohol use is greater than it has been in the past.

"If you have 1,400 kids up at a school, absolutely there's going to be drugs. But are they the magnitude that some people are saying? I won't believe it until I see it," says Haggerty. "But there are drugs in Andover, absolutely. There is heroin and Ecstasy. Whether drug use is of the magnitude some people are saying remains to be seen."

Youth services director Bill Fahey says he's heard some talk that drug or alcohol use at Andover High may be "up," but says that type of thing is difficult to measure.

When the issue came up at a recent youth council meeting, Fahey says a youth member simply suggested creating more programs or a place for youth to gather.