(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) – An alcohol enforcement team is ramping up party patrols and compliance checks at local businesses in Johnson County.

Law enforcement officials activated the Johnson County Alcohol Enforcement Team Monday, according to a news release. The agencies involved are the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office; Warrensburg, Knob Noster and Holden police departments;  the University of Central Missouri Department of Public Safety; and the Missouri Highway Patrol Troop A.

The team will help to prohibit the sale of alcohol to minors, prohibit the purchase and consumption of alcohol by minors, and to decrease the number of intoxicated drivers, according to the news release. The team will increase the number of compliance checks, party patrols and alcohol saturations throughout the county.

All liquor license holders in Johnson County were offered free training to prepare them for future alcohol compliance checks. The training took place July 31 at UCM and had 47 participants from 14 local businesses.

The alcohol enforcement team is supported by a grant awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.