Police take measures to hinder fake ID use

Police in Ocean City, Maryland, are attempting to increase efficiency in their identification of fake IDs by sharing their methods of detection. The Reducing Availability of Alcohol to Minors program, aimed at increasing identity verification of potential underage drinkers, is a partnership between police and local entrepreneurs and club owners to ensure a safe, lawful atmosphere. Police regularly visit establishments across Ocean City to supplement the ID authentication training employees receive from management. Training at some of the city's establishments involve handing out reference booklets to employees with templates of what IDs look like in different states, and warning them to keep a close watch for vertical IDs, which are allegedly easier to fake. "We encourage our waitresses to politely excuse themselves from the table and check the booklet if they're at all skeptical," local bar manager Tim Butcher tells the Daily Times. According to WKBW-TV, a recent study from the journal Addictive Behaviors revealed that nearly 8 percent of college freshmen who took part in an online alcohol education program had a fake ID.