 Gallatin County DUI Task Force
Members:
Bob Larson, Citizen Volunteer
Jami Rebson, County Attorney’s Office
Mark Daugherty, Citizen Volunteer
Mike Clayton, Prevention Education Bozeman Schools
Susan Wordal, City Attorney’s Office
Alex Fuller, GCSO
Todd Whipple, Gallatin County Attorney’s Office
Sherrie Murphy, MHP
Annie Glover, Director ASMSU Community Outreach
Guest:
Becky Robideaux, ARC
Dennis Carlson, Gallatin County Elections Department
Minutes Approved: Mark motioned; Susan seconded
Presentation: Working with the Media – Dennis Carlson, media consultant (and former DUI Task Force member).
There has been a 100% media turn over in the past 2 ½ months for TV. Most new people are both new to the business and the community, coming right out of journalism school. The pay isn’t great and the deadline pressure is high. You do the news twice each night.
Become a resource for these new news paper. Watch their shows. Check the website for their bios. What are their interests? Call and say, I’ve got an idea for a story. On slow news days they’re looking for stories. Act as a mentor – Is there anything going on that I can do a story about? With community issues, like DUI stats, tell them its important to get the news out, for it to be consistently on the air – and to keep the numbers out there.
Put together a contact list – Ask when their deadlines are each day. Get cell phone numbers.
When you watch the news, watch for the strengths and weaknesses of the various reporters. See what they cover and they don’t. Are they relying on a lot of stories from Missoula or national stories? Then they may need more local stories – or they may not have a strong commitment to local stories.
Generally Mondays are a slow news day – by Friday there are too many stories. If you do a press release, be sure the people who the reporter will contact will be in town when they call – you won’t get a second chance.
If you have weekend news for KTVM – contact the producer in Missoula and set it up early – a week for week day stories – fax or email the information, then call to follow up.
In terms of actual air time, know what you want to say and be prompt, concise. Practice responding to questions – toss yourself practice questions and break those in to sound bites. Sound bites are about 5 seconds each. So break your comments into smaller segments. And, be prepared with background information.
You have a right when you work with media, to contact a station and say, “I’d love to tell my story, but I won’t work with . . .”
Start with the news director when you contact the station (KTVM, Wade.
3-D Month Activities Wrap-Up
Holiday overtime patrols- only 1. Used by Belgrade PD – no DUI arrests.
Website updated –Jenna passed around a printout of the website’s pages.
Becky Robideaux – Report on Dram shop law in Gallatin County
When doing server trainings, they emphasize with servers not to serve to underage or an over-intoxicated person. There were trainings in November (25 attended) and January (36 attended).
Why is it important? It’s the law. Realistically though, the liability risk is slim and the dram shop law is light on consequences. Some bars do not have insurance. In Montana, by in large, people do not sue bars.
In November, a twenty-three year old guy passed out at a bar. They continued to serve him. He was in a DUI crash and died. Two weeks later, at the same bar, a 20 year old was served to intoxication, left the bar and killed himself and a passenger from the other car.
It’s important to get bars to look at their policies – to see what kinds of promotions they’re running, what kinds of drink specials, on those nights. Are they carding?
Todd Whipple: Typically. It’s the responsibility of the person who is driving under the influence and that blame goes with the person. That’s who is accountable. The County Attorney’s Office will not send a message that someone else is responsible for your behavior.
Enforcement of the dram shop laws is almost impossible. In terms of pro-active enforcement, there aren’t the resources for undercover people to do that kind of work.
Prosecuting proves difficult if there isn’t a video-tape – and many bar tapes are low quality, so are hard to use for evidence. These investigations are expensive and the fine to the bar is only $500. Witnesses generally aren’t credible because they were drunk.
These kinds of cases do better in civil court – are more likely to succeed there. A person can go after a bar for negligence. There’s a high burden of proof with the criminal statute – the preponderance of evidence necessary for civil court is simpler.
3 out of the last 5 negligent homicides were 1st offense DUIs.
Adjourn- 7 PM
Next meeting February 18th
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