Des Moines, Iowa (January 17, 2001) – Law enforcement officials
from across the state will return to the classroom over the next
few months to discuss vice. A three-part educational series, titled
Booze, Butts & Bingo: Vice Crimes in Iowa, will
focus on enforcement of Iowa’s vice crimes and will separately
address alcohol, tobacco and gaming regulations.
The Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, in collaboration with several
other state agencies, developed the series to offer certified peace
officer training for law enforcement officials in Iowa, as well
as Continuing Legal Education (C.L.E.) for all city and county attorneys.
The training is free to all participants and is funded by an appropriation
from the Iowa legislature, as well as an Educational Grant from
the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA).
Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack commended the training. “This cooperative
effort provides an excellent opportunity for state and local law
enforcement agencies to work together to ensure a safer, better
Iowa.”
The training will be offered in all 99 county seat towns over the
Iowa Communications Network (ICN). Several hundred law enforcement
officials are expected to participate in the training. Alcohol Laws
(Booze) is the topic on January 18, Iowa’s new Tobacco Laws
(Butts) will be presented on February 16, and the series will conclude
with Gambling Laws (Bingo) on March 18.
Lynn Walding, ABD Administrator, explained the purpose of the training,
“In Iowa, vice crimes are chiefly enforced at the local level.
The three-part series presents a unique opportunity to gather peace
officers and prosecutors from across the state to discuss strategies
and techniques to effectively regulate and control vice activities.
“As a category, vice crimes account for a disproportional amount
of the criminal activity confronting law enforcement officials.
Recent studies, for instance, have shown that alcohol misuse alone
contributes to nearly 40% of all violent crimes. An effective enforcement
strategy targeting vice crimes, therefore, can drastically reduce
the overall crime rate in a community. And, given the catastrophic
consequences that can flow from a single instance of drunk driving
alone, an effective enforcement program is well worth the effort,”
Walding added.
The city of Des Moines is a good example of a community that has
developed such a strategy. Under Police Chief William Moulder’s
command, the Des Moines Police Department adopted a proactive approach
to vice activities. Chief Moulder noted, “Despite the common
view of being a victimless offense, vice crimes are not without
victims. In reality, the harm caused by such offenses attaches to
the community as a whole and results in lost individual potential,
lost resources expended on enforcement and a lost sense of security
throughout the entire community.”
The Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, along with the Iowa Law Enforcement
Academy, the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the Iowa Department
of Inspections and Appeals and the Iowa Lottery, developed the series.
An abridged version will be extended to the retail community in
the spring to help with compliance as well.