Palo Alto Police Chief Lynne Johnson says she is drafting a “party ordinance” to be proposed to City Council this summer in an effort to curtail teen drinking.

In an April 13 press conference with Paly students, Johnson announced her intent to propose the ordinance, which would prohibit parties where alcohol is served to juveniles in private homes. This would apply even if parents were unaware of the situation. Johnson said the plan would be designed to prevent peaceful parties from getting out of control if unwanted guests arrive with alcohol.

When asked whether this plan would be enough to combat teen drinking, Johnson replied that it would not. Instead, she said, “There must be a collaborative effort to solve the problem.”

Johnson said that while the ordinance has not yet been drafted, she plans it to be similar to an existing Los Gatos ordinance that includes a party registration phone line. The registration system allows police to contact the party hosts by phone if complaints are made and to ask whether assistance is needed.

For many years Johnson has been a strong advocate of cracking down on teen drinking. In a 2003 article published in The Paly Voice, she stated that one of her primary goals as police chief would be to target teen drinking. Last month, the Palo Alto Police Department conducted a sting operation that caught eight local establishments serving liquor to minors. Eight more stings are planned between now and May 2008, according to a March 31 press release. According to Johnson, the leading causes of death among teenagers are auto accidents, homicides, and suicides, all of which Johnson has said can be a result of drinking.