The adoption of a "no-serve" policy in many Wisconsin towns and cities creates a greater sense of shared responsibility in communities for problem drinkers, according to the head of a statewide law enforcement group.
The "no-serve" policy involves the creation of a list of people with habitual, alcohol-related behavior problems. The list is distributed to liquor stores, taverns, and other alcohol establishments so bartenders know not to serve those on the list.
Wisconsin Professional Police Association Executive Director Jim Palmer said that the plan helps curb problems.
"It just recognizes that this is a statewide and community problem, and there's more that we can do collectively and collaboratively to address it," he said.
Janesville is the latest Wisconsin town to enforce such a policy. It's already in place in several other communities around the state, including Green Bay and Madison.
Palmer said he thinks this is a positive approach to the problem of alcohol abuse. He said a lot of time and money dedicated to public safety goes to alcohol-related incidents. He said that a program like this could prevent police officers from spending all their time on calls addressing the behavior of drunken people.
He said this is perhaps the beginning of a statewide trend of adopting no-serve policies.
