Before tipping back a cold one at a local bar this summer, be aware that the cops are still out in full force.

Many underage drinkers believe that the police force is more relaxed in the summer. However, Jim Robinson of the Ames Police Department said that the police continue to complete their usual routines.

“A lot of people think that since the majority of the students are gone, we slack off. But we really do not change our daily patrols,” Robinson said.

He said both undercover and uniformed officers are implemented to control the problem of underage drinking. “We also try to check out parties, although the spring and fall semesters create a larger concern,” Robinson said.

Ames law prohinits anyone under 21 to enter drinking establishments.

Vincent Munoz, bartender at People’s Bar and Grill, 2428 Lincoln Way, agreed there is not much change in police involvement during the summer — and not much change in the amount of minors who attempt to drink.

“People always want to get into the bars when they are underage, and that doesn’t change in the summer,” Munoz said.

Todd Schaffert, bartender at The Long Shot, 2900 West St., had a different perspective.

“There are less police officers in the bar during the summer,” Schaffert said. “It just isn’t that big of a problem.”

Shaffert also said that underage Ames residents know better than to try to get into the bar, but students think they can.

Robinson said there were considerably less citations issued due to the fact that there are simply less people in Ames during the summer months.

“We are diligently looking for underage drinkers,” Robinson said. “We try to mix up our routines and go into each bar on different nights to keep awareness high.”

The maximum penalty for an underage drinking offense, said Story County Court Attendant Marilyn Sudduth, can cost up to $155.