Fake IDs: Does the problem lie with minors or with the authorities who don’t intervene?

Saturday night at the square you find yourself taking shots with some wild new friends you met at the bar. They seem pretty cool, until a boy gets sick all over your shoes. You’re probably thinking to yourself “I remember my first beer” well, for him it very well could be his first.

“I’ve probably been telling people I was 21 since I turned 17. Every year for my birthday I turn 21” said 20 year old Hannah Smith, jokingly. “My fake ID looks nothing like me, but it always works; honestly most people don’t even ask to see it and the ones that do don’t really seem to care.”

Using a fake ID has become increasingly popular to underage teens as means of acquiring alcohol and access to bars. Fake IDs have been around for years, but recent technology advancements have made acquiring a fake ID nearly effortless. Now teens don’t have to just use an older siblings ID; the internet has thousands of sites that offer customized IDs at the click of a mouse.

Approximately 50 people were charged with possession of false identification by the Oxford Police Department during the first half of 2011. This number, however, is not an accurate projection of the amount of fake IDs being used in Oxford. Brian Tuttle, a UPD officer said, “Well usually an officer won’t charge you with a fake, he’ll just give you a Minor in Possession and take it.”

Without a specific protocol in place, most bartenders don’t confiscate fake IDs either. Danielle Young a junior science major, said, “My ID is on the back of a Wal-Mart gift card and it always works. They usually don’t even turn it over but a few times they have. They’ll laugh and hand it back but they always let me in!”

The problem with confiscating fake IDs is that most people aren’t educated on how to detect a fake. Gas station clerks, waiters and even many liquor store clerks don’t know what to look for, or don’t bother looking at all. Taylor Williams, a freshmen said, “I can buy alcohol most places no problem. The trick is to go in with a regular the first time and then after the cashiers have seen you they remember you and don’t even ask.”

The Oxford Police Department now offers classes on how to detect fake IDs. These are in an attempt to educate bouncers and clerks on how to react to a fake ID and encourage them to check every time. A first time charge of possession of a fake ID is a fine of $500 and up to 30 days in jail. OPD as well as Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) will be reinforcing this fine more heavily as they crack down on fake IDs.