Chapel Hill crackdown on underage drinking shows results

Chapel Hill police are seeing results from an increased focus on underage drinking, a spokesman said.

The department has increased patrols and created a task force -- ALERT, or the Alcohol Law Enforcement Response Team -- after noticing a rise in alcohol poisonings lately, Officer Mitch McKinney said.

The ALERT team, which includes officers from Chapel Hill and Carrboro, was formed to combat what police see in the community, Lt. Kevin Gunter said.

In August and September, police issued 65 citations for underage drinking, more than double the number from the same period a year ago, Gunter said.