CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – The state is stepping up enforcement to target bars that have sold alcohol to drivers who’ve been convicted of drunk driving.
This holiday season, the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission will increase police presence at these “high risk” bars from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Eve.
Jamie Berger, a Turners Falls bar owner, told 22News he agrees with this crackdown on bars where many OUI’s originate. Berger said, “It can happen to any bar once in ten years, but if it’s happening ten times a year, then there’s something wrong with the bar.”
Local police will also work with the state to identify these high risk locations in their communities. The state said more than half of all drunk driving arrests can be traced back to a bar.