The city of Fargo, North Dakota is home to the Safe Communities Coalition of the Red River Valley (SCCRRV) and its coordinator, Robyn Litke. With its’ dedicated members, this coalition is a leader of Community Coalitions. The coalition is comprised of such groups as MADD; North Dakota State University; Concordia University- Moorhead; FM Ambulance; Emergency Nurses Association; Beverage Wholesalers; North Dakota and Minnesota Highway Patrols; Cass County and Clay County Sheriff’s Departments; Fargo, West Fargo, Glyndon, and Moorhead Police Departments; East Central Judicial District Juvenile Court; MeritCare Trauma Services; Cass County and Clay County Public Health Departments; FM Area Safe Kids; Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota; and Rick’s Bar. With partnerships such as these, the SCCRRV is bound to make a difference in the community.

Fargo is the largest city in North Dakota and home to several college campuses. It resides across the Red River from Moorhead, MN, which houses several more college campuses. While having multiple sources of higher education is an advantage for any community, with it brings disadvantages. One of those disadvantages is the misuse of alcohol. Fargo has had more than its share of alcohol related deaths. The cause of those deaths ranges from binge drinking and alcohol poisoning to impaired driving, all that have led to either injury or death. This coalition has made successful strides in the fight against that misuse and it is evident in the community.

Initially funded by a grant from the North Dakota Department of Transportations’ (NDDOT) Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), the SCCRRV came out fighting. Coalition members put together committees to develop and maintain alcohol projects. Those projects include, but are not limited to, Alcohol Compliance Checks, Victim Impact Panels, a Server Training Program, and a Designated Driver Program.

Alcohol Compliance Checks are conducted monthly in the Fargo area to help limit youth access to alcohol. The checks involve an underage person attempting to purchase alcohol from local liquor establishments. The monthly checks are conducted in Fargo, West Fargo and Cass County in North Dakota and in Moorhead, Minnesota with the cooperation of local law enforcement agencies. A random selection determines which establishments are checked. All businesses who pass their compliance checks in any given year receive an award of excellence from the Safe Communities Coalition. Employees of a business that does not pass a compliance check must go through Mandatory Server Training if they have not already done so. The fines and penalties range from a $500 fine for the first offense, to the revocation of a liquor license after seven offenses in one year.

The Server Training Program is conducted by police officers. The officers teach participants about local laws pertaining to minors, the sale or delivery of alcohol to minors, how to handle obviously intoxicated persons, and dram shop laws. Participants are taught how to detect minors and fake identification, and how to deter the underage purchase or consumption of alcohol. They also learn the proper procedures in dealing with underage drinking or an attempt to purchase alcohol by an underage person. The physiological effects of alcohol are discussed along with detecting intoxication and intervening with intoxicated persons. This has been a very successful program for Fargo, with 2,057 servers, pourers and sellers of alcohol attending training in fifty-five classes from October 1, 2004 through September 30, 2005. A new program evaluation was developed and implemented in July. All Server Training instructors met in June to discuss revisions to the program. Instructor and evaluation feedback resulted in a new PowerPoint presentation for training.

The Designated Driver Program is in place in 15 establishments in Fargo. These businesses advertise the program to patrons and offer to call a cab for those who have had too much to drink. Beer distributors provide funding for the cab rides.

Victims and their family members, law enforcement officers, medical personnel and others share their experiences with convicted drunk drivers at Victim Impact Panel sessions. The impaired driving offenders who attend the Victim Impact Panels are there as a result of a court order or referral. The Victim Impact Panel meets monthly at Fargo City Hall. The fee for those sentenced to attend the panel is $40. This fee must be paid with cash or a money order at check-in on the night of the event. Observers can attend free of charge. Parents of juveniles who have been sentenced to attend the panel are encouraged to observe. The fees that are paid for the Victim Impact Panel sustain this and other alcohol programs developed by the Safe Communities Coalition.

With these self-sufficient programs in place, giant strides are being made to deter alcohol related problems. In fact, North Dakota Legislators passed a law in 2005 that makes it illegal to drink in a liquor establishment until 8:00 AM the morning of a 21st birthday because of actions of the SCCRRV. Power Hour, once the popular tradition of drinking 21 drinks in the hour between Midnight and 1:00 AM on the eve of a 21st birthday, is slowly but surely being reduced to a memory in Fargo and many other areas. Legislators in many states are looking at passing a similar law. In addition, other communities are looking to Fargo’s programs and policies as models to establish their own. For more information on any of these projects or programs, contact Robyn Litke, coordinator of the Safe Communities Coalition of the Red River Valley at (701) 241-1341 or rclitke@ci.fargo.nd.us.