Police officials in the District of Columbia said recent court rulings have made it nearly impossible to enforce the city's law banning underage drinking, the Washington Post reported June 17.
According to Lt. Patrick Burke, the police department's traffic-safety coordinator, a May 25 court injunction only allows police officers to issue civil citations to minors who possess or drink alcohol. The minor punishment, he said, essentially gives youth a free pass to purchase and drink alcohol.
"If I was a young person in Maryland or Virginia, I'd be here in D.C. trying to get a drink right now, because there's nothing we can do about it," said Burke before a council hearing on strengthening the city's law. "We can't enforce the law right now, so there is a free ride in the city."
