ALBANY – State officials will continue a crackdown on underage drinking and the use of fake IDs this summer season.
The Governor’s Office announced this week since last month 78 arrests were made part of the operation prevent campaign.
During the five most recent sweeps, fake IDs from all over the east coast were sized. Most of the stings in Western New York occurred at the 21 Savage, Post Malone and Kendrick Lamar concerts at Darien Lake.
During the 21 Savage and Post Malone shows a total of twenty-four underage concertgoers either possessing alcohol or attempting to purchase alcohol with fraudulent identification were arrested and 24 fake IDs were seized.
Meanwhile at Kendrick Lamar’s concert detail netted 19 arrests and the seizure of 19 fraudulent identifications.
Operation Prevent investigators will continue to conduct sweeps at venues statewide this summer.
Investigators use portable document verification machines to conduct forensic examinations of documents using white light, UV light, and infrared light sources.
Patrons under the age of 21 found to be using fake IDs to buy alcohol can be arrested and risk having their license revoked for a minimum of 90 days or up to one year.
Operation Prevent is supported by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, which coordinates traffic safety activities in New York and awards federal highway safety grant funds to local, state, and not-for-profit agencies for projects to improve highway safety and reduce deaths and serious injuries due to crashes.
