The Pennsylvania State Police want to crack down on underage drinking on college and university campuses in several counties, including Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill in the Times News coverage area.

In a news release, Sgt. Waleska Gonzalez, the district’s commanding officer, detailed an initiative state police will employ to assist them in reaching that goal.

The release, in part, says, “As the Fall semester begins at colleges and universities, liquor control enforcement officers from the Pennsylvania State Police, Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, will be working with both local and state police in an effort to target underage drinking in and around campuses in our jurisdiction.”

He said officers will be meeting with selected campus administrators and campus enforcement authorities in an effort to reduce underage drinking and to preempt alcohol-related problems at colleges and universities.

He said officers will also be meeting with many liquor licensees in college and university areas in an effort to promote awareness, improve relations and reinforce preventing sales of alcohol to minors and other alcohol violations.

Gonzalez said state laws pertaining to the purchase, possession, consumption or distribution of alcohol will be aggressively enforced.

Any person under 21 found in possession of, or consuming, alcoholic beverages will be cited under the commonwealth’s drinking laws.

In Pennsylvania, underage drinking is a summary offense that carries a potential fine of up to $500 and up to 90 days imprisonment for the first offense.

he fine increases up to $1,000 for subsequent offenses. Entry into an ARD or pre-adjudication program counts as a conviction.

The sergeant said every effort will be made to arrest any person who supplies alcoholic beverages to a person under the age of 21.

Any person, including parents, found supplying alcohol to anyone under the age of 21 will be charged with furnishing alcohol to minors, a third-degree misdemeanor.

The penalty for the first offense is a minimum fine of $1,000 and up to one year imprisonment.

The fine for a second or subsequent offense is a minimum of $2,500.

Any person charged with offense section will be fingerprinted and photographed as part of the arrest process, the news release states.