NEWS RELEASE                                             

For Immediate Release
May 6, 2008
Contact: Michele Nicholson
Public Information Officer
  (850) 651-7420

DEPUTIES WRITE MORE THAN 260 UNDERAGE ALCOHOL CITATIONS

            Deputies with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office issued approximately 267 citations to underage drinkers during this year’s eight-week Spring Break period. That compares to 141 last year.

         High School students made up more than half the number of offenders cited for underage alcohol possession– with 166 citations.

          Here’s a partial breakdown on the notices to appear:

LOUISIANA:        29 college students                 54 high school students

ALABAMA:          22 college students                 30 high school students

MISSISSIPPI:       17 college students                 11 high school students

GEORGIA:            9 college students                  12 high school students

LOCALS:              2 college students                   7 high school students

         Underage alcohol possession citations were also written to multiple students from the states of Kentucky, North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Indiana, Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Maryland, and New Jersey.

           In addition, deputies also made Spring Break arrests involving five cases of battery, ten cases of possession of marijuana, and nineteen cases of retail theft. Other charges filed included trespassing, possession of fraudulent identification, and one grand theft. No sexual batteries were reported.

            Sgt. Ted Pecot of the Sheriff’s Office Beach and Marine Unit says the goal was prevention – to make contact with underage Spring Breakers who were drinking and prevent them from getting intoxicated and causing other problems.

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