The Thibodaux Police Department is utilizing a $25,000 grant to target underage drinking.

The department was awarded the grant, which is funded through the State Department of Health and Hospitals, to the South Central Louisiana Human Services Authority. The Bayou Council on Alcoholism will also partner with the police department to curb underage drinking.

Thibodaux police Public Information Officer David Melancon said Thibodaux police utilized grant funding before, but this new grant will help increase their efforts.

“As far back as I can remember, we had a program that was two days a week through grant funding,” Melancon said. “We would assign off-duty police officers to visit all of the alcohol sales establishments looking for underage drinkers. This grant is an additional one which allows us to add an extra day, as well as other types of enforcement, but once again targeting underage possession.”

SCLHSA was created by the Louisiana Legislature and merged with the Offices of Mental Health, Addictive Disorders and Citizens with Developmental Disabilities in 2010. SCLHSA serves Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Mary, Assumption, St. James, St. John and St. Charles Parishes.

According to the Daily Comet, SCLHSA executive director Lisa Schilling said, “Our funding was primarily for the Parish of Lafourche because it had the highest ranking of underage drinking in the seven-parish area that we serve. We’ve been working almost a year putting some programs in place, and one was working with our law enforcement officials.”

Melancon said the grant will help in targeting underage drinking, but it will not specifically target college students.

“This is simply visiting alcohol establishments and making sure that sales to minors are not taking place,” Melancon said.

Thibodaux Police officers that work these underage drinking details are often in plain clothes. Melancon said this is not the same as being “undercover.” Officers are often not in uniform so that people in the establishments do not worry that something bad has happened.

“We’re not trying to deter business, ruin anyone’s night or stop people from having a good time,” Melancon said. “We’re simply trying to curb underage drinking because that’s what we’ve been tasked to do with that grant funding.”

Melancon said the police department will occasionally send undercover police into the establishments to make sure they are ID’ing properly and checking bracelets, not just serving anyone who approaches the bar.

“You can’t say the businesses, but we have found employees (not following the law),” Melancon said. “The businesses can put measures in place, but the employee has to follow them.”

The department issued 975 underage drinking citations from 2011 to 2015. The grant will also help with the educational portion of underage drinking prevention program.

Melancon said he did not believe any establishment contributes to Lafourche having a higher ranking of underage drinking than the surrounding parishes.

“I don’t think it has anything to do with an establishment,” Melancon said. “I don’t think it has anything to do with Nicholls or high school seniors or anything of that sort. I think it has to do with someone between the ages of 18 and not yet 21 who decides to drink alcohol. Even though they may feel they’re responsible enough to do it, it’s a violation. Until the law changes and the grant funding is there, we are going to enforce it.”