Law Enforcement Shows up in Force, County Alcohol Sale Hours Change Again

Law Enforcement Shows up in Force, County Alcohol Sale Hours Change Again

SWEETWATER COUNTY — Members of law enforcement came out in force today to address the Sweetwater County Commissioners regarding their decision last week to increase hours of alcohol sales by two hours.

Those making the case to change back included the Wyoming Highway Patrol, Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office, Rock Springs Police Chief Dwane Pacheco, Green River Police Chief Chris Steffan, Community Prevention Specialist Cassandra Crumpton, and members of the community.

They were successful, too. The Sweetwater County Commission voted to change the county hours for alcohol sales back to being restricted between the hours of 2 am and 6 am.
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A Quick Recap

The State of Wyoming’s statute restricting alcohol sales between 2 am and 6 am expired on July 1, 2017, leaving local ordinances to make their own rules.

Ahead of that expiration, Sweetwater County Commissioners voted to have the hours of restriction between 2 am and 4 am so that shift workers are able to purchase a 6-pack of beer on their way home.

The City of Rock Springs later mirrored that action taken by the commission, setting the restricted hours of alcohol sales between 2 am to 4 am.

This allowed for two more hours of alcohol sales in both the City of Rock Springs and the county.
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Prevention Management Speaks Out

At today’s meeting, Community Prevention Specialist Cassandra Crumpton began the presentation by stating that alcohol is consistently the number one most abused substance among people across the state of Wyoming.
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A study was done by the Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center in 2010 on the cost of alcohol substance abuse in the state of Wyoming. Over $800 million are spent annually on alcohol abuse. That’s a significant number when you consider a population of about 530,000.

— Cassandra Crumpton, Community Prevention Specialist
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Crumpton said that increased hours of operation increases access to a substance that people struggle with.
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“We need to think about what we are handing down to our children regarding the norms around alcohol. Do you want to tie one on all the time or do we want to encourage the decision from a place of power to say please be responsible about our consumption.”

— Cassandra Crumpton, Community Prevention Specialist
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One of the main arguments for extending the hours of alcohol sales was that shift workers getting off work between 4 am and 6 am couldn’t stop to purchase alcohol on their way home.
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“I’ve been in contact with many large employers and industry employers across the county and I’ve consistently heard, from the ones I’ve heard back from, there are no shifts that end prior to 4 am, save our local law enforcement. There are no 4 o’clock shift workers that I have found and heard back from who would fit that 2 hour time window that the extension allows.”

— Cassandra Crumpton, Community Prevention Specialist
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Finally, Crumpton touched on suicide prevention. She said 40% of people who die by suicide across the state do so while they are acutely intoxicated with alcohol. In 2014, about 154 people died by suicide in Wyoming.
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The Law Enforcement Perspective

Rock Springs Police Chief Dwane Pacheco followed up Crumpton’s case with his own.
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“I am against the 4-6 am increased hours allowing access to alcohol. The commission made an uninformed decision and a hasty decision in this regard without input from those of us who are working between 4-6 am. My guys are out there on the streets, picking up the pieces between 4-6 am.”

— Dwane Pacheco, Rock Springs Police Chief
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Pacheco said he had spoken to a couple of bar owners in the Rock Springs area, one with a package liquor drive-thru, who said morally and ethically he would not stand behind the extended hours because people need a break.
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“On a national level, we’ve been able to at least plateau out DUI’s. To be able to not increase it and show some decreases is a win for us. The way you’re able to do that is by continuing best practices and not lessoning those things that are working.”

— Dwane Pacheco, Rock Springs Police Chief
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The police chief also said that fiscally, it makes sense. He said, “We can show that 60+% of violent crimes have an alcohol and controlled dangerous substance nexus in this community.”

He also said that when there is a violent crime, the cost to investigate, incarcerate, and prosecute is huge. With everyone facing budget cuts, that should be an easy decision.
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Arguments For, Arguments Against

Commissioner John Kolb was not in favor of the change because it was a restriction on the law-abiding citizens of the county.
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“I figure we have the freedom to make choices, good and bad. I hate to have a few bad apples ruin what other law-abiding citizens can do. I find that offensive. More regulations do not affect people who do not follow the law. You bring in documentation that’s more than just ‘I want prohibition,’ I’m willing to listen to that. But up until that happens, I don’t see what the big rush is.”

— John Kolb, County Commissioner
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Crumpton said she wasn’t looking to restrict anyone’s rights. She’s asking that the county lead the charge to keep the community on the same path we have been on since 2012 with the downward trend of alcohol.
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What price at the community’s expense are you willing to wait? Do people have to die? Do people have to be incarcerated and lose their well-being? Do family members have to be locked up or struggle with addiction? I’m not willing to be a wait-and-see with that, what with the numbers already telling us—that alcohol abuse is significant in our community.”

— Cassandra Crumpton, Community Prevention Specialist
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Kolb wasn’t to be convinced convinced though.
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Show me the data on how that works, not some position. I don’t know that you can stop people. You can slow them down. We do the best we can and I agree with that. I don’t see where this is a calamity and I don’t buy the argument that my child will get killed on the road because of this.”

— John Kolb, County Commissioner
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Commissioner Don Van Matre supported tabling the decision for more discussion at the next meeting when all parties could attend and make arguments.

Commissioner Randy Wendling went ahead and made the motion to remove the extended hours of alcohol sales.
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We wait two more weeks, Mr. Chairman, who knows what lives are going to be impacted, what law enforcement is going to have to deal with. I value a life more than I do business owners.”

–Randy Wendling, County Commissioner
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Commissioner Wally Johnson was also in favor of removing the extended hours and seconded the motion.

The decision to go back to restricted hours between 2 am and 6 am was passed with Wendling, Johnson, and West in favor. Van Matre and Kolb against.