Project 21 officials say the bar raids that occurred before spring break will not be the end of the program.

Sergeant William Emery, safety education officer for the Illinois State Police, said Monday that the March 8 bar raids, which resulted in 18 alcohol-related arrests, were just part of a “series.”

“We are doing it to cut underage drinking,” Emery said. “In a lot of the college areas there’s a lot of drinking and driving and minor consumption of alcohol.”

Oct. 18 was the first time Project 21 performed compliance checks at Charleston bars. Those raids resulted in nine arrests at eight local establishments.

Project 21 is sponsored by the Illinois State Police, Alcohol Counter Measure Enforcement, and through a grant funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Illinois Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Division.

When performing compliance checks, Project 21 officers enforce local ordinances rather than the state ordinances. Under the state ordinance, if arrested the violation would go on a person’s driving record. By using the local ordinance, the violation stays within the city.

The raids prior to spring break resulted in 18 arrests for charges related to illegal possession of alcohol and one for criminal damage of property. There were 56 charges of alcohol violations. Of the charges, 15 were for minor possession of alcohol, 14 for presence of a minor in a liquor establishment, 12 charges of possession of false identification, 12 charges of misrepresentation of age and three charges of obstructing a police officer.

During the checks, officers obtained 10 illegal identification cards. All IDs seized are forwarded to the Illinois Secretary of State for further possible action.

Anyone caught in possession of another persons identification or a fake driver’s license or state identification card can be punished for a first offense with the suspension of their driver’s license or driving privileges for a minimum of 12 months. With a second offense, the offender could have their driver’s license or driving privileges revoked. These offenses stay on a persons driving record for seven years.

A person could be convicted with a Class A Misdemeanor for lending a license or state ID to a friend or knowingly allowing someone to use his driver’s license, possessing a fictitious driver’s license, allowing any unlawful use of one’s driver’s license, or displaying or representing another person’s driver’s license as one’s own. This is punishable with one year in jail and a fine up to $2,500.

A person could be convicted of a Class 4 Felony for possessing a fraudulent Illinois driver’s license, advertising or distributing a fraudulent driver’s license, altering or attempting to alter any driver’s license or state ID, displaying or presenting any document for the purpose of obtaining a fictitious driver’s license, or manufacturing, possessing, transferring or providing any identification document, whether real or fictitious, for the purpose of obtaining a fictitious driver’s license.

Compliance checks were made March 8 between 11 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. at the following bars in Charleston: Stix, 1412 Fourth St., zero arrests; Mothers, 506 Monroe Ave., eight arrests; Mike and Stan’s, 504 Monroe Ave., six arrests; Marty’s, 1666 Fourth St., one arrest; Ike’s, 409 Lincoln Ave., zero arrests; Uptowner, 623 Monroe Ave., one arrest; Friends and Company, 509 Van Buren Ave., zero arrests; The Station, 623 Sixth St., one arrest; and Jerry’s Pizza, 1508 Fourth St., two arrests.