Environmental Strategies for Prevention
A Guide To Helping the Prevention Professional Work Effectively in the Community

Supplements

Roles and Responsibilities of Local Public Agencies

Department or Agency Chief Responsibility Staff Responsibilities
City attorney's office Ensuring that procedures and practices apply applicable laws at State and local level in ways that are most advantageous to the locality. Senior attorneys Review interaction between State's and locality's regulations of alcoholic beverages to provide basis for resisting legal challenges to locality's authority to regulate land use where alcohol is sold and (where permitted by the State) to regulate sale of alcoholic beverages

Monitor legal issues and identify effective alcohol ordinances in other localities
City/county manager's office Coordination of contacts among all of the agencies and reporting of their activities to the local legislature. Central planning and review function helps ensure that all departments coordinate their efforts and respond appropriately to retailers and concerned community organizations regarding alcohol-related problems. Senior management personnel Coordinate work regarding alcohol availability across all of the locality's departments

Establish task forces and alcohol policy working groups.
Police or sheriff Problem description and enforcement activities in relation to all alcohol availability and drinking in public rights-of-way. Patrol division



Crime analysis unit

Chief's office, community-centered policing program, vice unit.

 Report alcohol-related problems

Document link between problems and availability

Work with State ABC, interpret availability-related problem data, negotiate approvals and denials of permit applications

Carry out proactive compliance and mitigation activity such as decoy-buy operations, preventive visits to outlets and neighborhood groups, consult with outlet operators and other agencies on crime prevention and compliance issues
Planning and zoning Approval and monitoring of distribution and operation of retail outlets throughout the community Line staff in zoning

Code enforcement staff

Long-range land use planning staff		 Review department applications and make recommendations to zoning approval boards



Ensure compliance to conditions imposed by approval process

Code enforcement reviews and nuisance abatement activities at outlets

Establish an "alcohol outlet desk" to focus and coordinate activities and to respond rapidly to queries

Use conditional use permits and other land-use measures to reduce high outlet densities, facilitate case-by-case oversight, and establish preventive conditions
Parks and recreation, community services Sales of alcohol at special events and in public places (in cooperation with sheriff's department) Maintenance personnel

Program staff		 Provide information about substance abuse in parks and facilities

Review special-use permit requests for alcohol sales, provide information to users of parks and facilities about alcohol use policies, monitor events at which alcohol sales are permitted

Set standards for alcohol use at public events
Housing and community services Alcohol-related domestic violence Key staff Work with landlords to develop policies to prevent problems

Assist police and social service domestic violence teams to work with apartment management and residents
Agency for business licenses and permits Collection of permit fees and use-permit application fees Key staff
Community economic development agencies Examine costs and benefits of alcohol outlets as participants in community development projects Key staff Establish fee levels for city services to reflect the greater costs of alcohol outlets for police services and land-use administration

Establishing "alcohol outlet elements" in redevelopment plans

From: Prakash L. Grover, Executive Editor, Preventing Problems Related to Alcohol Availability: Environmental Approaches, Practitioners' Guide. Prevention Enhancement Protocols System (PEPS), Third in the PEPS Series. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Downloaded from http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/govpubs/PHD822/aap.aspx on Dec. 8, 2004

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