Only 14 Social Host Ordinance violations recorded in first year

It has been a little more than a year since the City of El Paso started cracking down on homeowners who allow underage drinking to take place in their homes.

The “Social Host Accountability Ordinance” went into effect June 6, 2017. Violators can face a fine of up to $1,000.

ABC-7 requested the number of violations in the first year of the ordinance.

Per our open records request, the city’s Municipal Court provided the time and date of all 14 violations.

July 8, 2017 — 11:45 p.m. July 16, 2017 — 11:30 p.m. July 23, 2017 — 2:09 a.m. August 5, 2017 — 12:24 a.m. August 23, 2017 — 2:04 a.m. August 27, 2017 — 12:00 a.m. September 22, 2017 — 11:48 p.m. December 3, 2017 — 1:05 a.m. January 27, 2018 — 9:41 p.m. January 28, 2018 — 1:33 a.m. March 2, 2018 — 10:29 p.m. March 2, 2018 — 11:00 p.m. March 30, 2018 — 11:56 p.m. April 7, 2018 — 3:35 a.m.

ABC-7 requested the locations for each violation, but that information was not provided. ABC-7 reached out to El Paso Police for that information and was told it needed to be requested through the Municipal Court.

When ABC-7 asked El Paso Police if they would consider the ordinance a success after one year, spokesman Sergeant Enrique Carrillo said: ” This calls for an opinion that we are not going to offer.”

The ordinance was first introduced by city representative Michiel Noe and former council member Courtney Niland.

A study conducted by Paso del Norte Health Foundation in 2016 found that 28 percent of high school freshman reported drinking alcohol, and about 17% reported binge drinking, or having 5 or more drinks in a row on one occasion.

Some reported being in a car with a driver who had been drinking, while one in four said they had driven after drinking alcohol.

This ordinance does not take the place of the fine involved with providing alcohol to minors. That’s a Class A Misdemeanor in Texas with a fine of up to $4,000.

The ordinance states that if a party involving underage drinking takes place, when the property owner is not around, the owner will get a warning. After that, they could be subjected to fines.