(Spirit Lake)– The Dickinson county board of supervisors Tuesday unanimously adopted a disorderly house ordinance intended to help crack down on the problem with underage drinking.
The ordinance makes it illegal for an underage person simply to be present at a location where other underage people are consuming alcohol.
In addition, Dickinson County Attorney Rosalise Olsen says property owners could also be charged if it’s proven they knowingly allowed such a gathering to take place.
In addition to dealing with the underage drinking problem, Olsen hopes it will also help with other issues such as gang activity. Olsen says she’s seeing more and more signs of it in Dickinson county. She says it’s showing up in graffiti and an increase in thefts and burglaries. Olsen says youth have told her it’s part of the gang initiation process. She says it’s cause for alarm.
