The Youth Alcohol Squad was formed in 1994 to combat underage drinking in the City of Phoenix. The idea was to bring together a group of officers who were passionate about developing a combined approach to help young people understand the effects of alcohol use while conducting targeted enforcement to reduce that use and to reduce the availability of alcohol to underage people.

All squad members are highly trained and specialize in the area of traffic-related alcohol and drug education programs and criminal investigations. All are required to be Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) and are certified by the International Association of Chiefs of Police to recognize the signs and symptoms of drug impairment (including alcohol).

One of the primary responsibilities of the squad is to conduct classroom presentations for young drivers in high schools (usually Juniors and Seniors). Squad members conduct a Traffic Safety presentation to highlight traffic laws and good driving habits and another on Drug Awareness that deals with drugs and drug use issues that young people face today. The classes are each one hour in length and involve PowerPoint and videos to help convey the message. These presentations are typically taught on two separate school days.

The squad also conducts presentations for education professionals (teachers, school nurses, administrators, and school resource officers) under a program called Drug Identification Training for Education Professionals (DITEP). This program was developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in order to provide education professionals with the tools necessary to identify drug-impaired students in the learning environment. The hope is that early intervention in the cycle of addiction can occur and the program increases the options schools have to combat rising drug use on campus. While the DITEP program is not intended to turn teachers into "classroom cops," criminal prosecution remains available as a last resort should other intervention programs prove ineffective.

Additional training provided by the squad includes Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) and DRE training for police officers, prosecutors, and other members of the law enforcement community. Squad members have traveled throughout the country to provide training under these programs and are frequently called upon to assist other agencies within Arizona. Limited presentations are also conducted for community organizations.

The squad conducts a variety of enforcement programs including DUI enforcement, Cops-in-Shops, Covert Underage Buyer (CUB), Shoulder Tap, and Party Enforcement Programs, along with other enforcement efforts designed to reduce underage drinking. Each program is intended to address some particular aspect of the overall issue, whether that be underage consumption or sale of spirituous liquor to underage people. The overall goal is to reduce the number of underage people involved serious or fatal alcohol/drug-related traffic collisions.

If you are familiar with a business establishment that is providing alcohol to under age persons, please let us know.

Report businesses selling liquor to minors

Below are links to request the unit to come to your location to teach.

Request a DITEP presentation for your location

Request a Traffic / Drug Awarness presentation for your location