Since its inception in 2005, the Juvenile Anti-Alcohol Grant Task Force (JAAG) has grown to include 14 counties.  While Dallas and Guthrie counties joined early in the program, Greene County celebrates its first year with JAAG.  The task force’s main responsibility is to reduce the amount of underage drinking.

Greene County Chief Deputy Sheriff Jack Williams says JAAG has helped to cut down the amount of underage drinking at local party spots and assist in conducting bar checks at local bars. They’ve helped other counties to do saturation patrols to cover more areas where underage alcohol consumption is prevalent.

The Greene County Sheriff’s department receives money to use for the added JAAG personnel to help out with certain events.  Williams says that the money has provided more law enforcement during events.  “We are allotted $1500 per year for the county fair, Bell Tower and some of the events going out at the fairgrounds.”

The Sheriff’s department has used JAAG several times as undercover officers in plain clothes scope out those that are of age giving alcohol to minors which has led to a big success in cutting down underage drinking in Greene County.

Williams points out that even though Greene County is fairly new to JAAG and doesn’t have official statistics in the lowered levels of underage drinking, he says there’s been significant reduction across the board with other counties in the amount of underage drinking.

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