Local officials voted Tuesday evening to extend a program that mandates community service in lieu of a trial for underage drinking offenders and approved a dry barbecue in place of the once semi-annual Charity Block Party.

The senior class barbecue for Georgetown students and members of the community was approved unanimously at the meeting. Co-sponsored by the Black House and Residence Life, the event is scheduled for April 27 from 2-4 p.m. on 36th Street between O and P Streets. Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners voted to close the block from shortly before to shortly after the barbecue.

The event will not charge a fee and there will be no proceeds given to charity, unlike the Block Party, which raised money for local charities until this academic year, when disagreements arose between student organizers and administrators over alcohol service at the semi-annual event.

Representatives from the Georgetown senior class committee said that the event will offer an opportunity for non-alcoholic entertainment for students. They also said they hope to encourage diversity and promote good relations between students and the surrounding community.

The other major decision at the meeting was the continuation of a program known as a “diversion program.” The program gives first offense underage drinkers 17 hours of community service as a substitute for going to court. It does not, however, alter any of the fines, jail time or school notification procedures mandated under applicable laws. In addition, the program is used on a discretionary basis, not in all cases. Members of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission approved this initiative unanimously.

This “diversion program” was already in effect throughout the District of Columbia prior to Tuesday’s meeting. It is a pilot program in the early stages of development, which was originally used only for DWI offenders. The ANC vote was simply to fund and support the program.

ANC 2E04 Commissioner Justin Wagner (COL ’03) introduced the motion, saying that the aim of the program is not to take away the consequences from the offender. Rather, it is an effort to recognize that young people do make mistakes and should not have to suffer unduly later in life because of them. The option to forego a trial is meant to take the burden off of young offenders who might be hurt in such instances as job applications. According to Wagner, only judges would have access to their first offense records.

There were some questions raised about the initiative, however. ANC 2E05 Commissioner Tom Birch, though he did not vote against the motion, suggested that people who are worried about their future records should choose not to drink underage in the first place. He also questioned the notion, in general, of community service being used as a punishment.

Discussion of the “diversion program” came on the heels of a police report that indicated a significant number of underage drinking arrests in the month of March. Capt. Michael Jacobs of the Metropolitan Police Department said that 114 people were arrested for underage drinking in that time. Last Saturday night alone, in a “bar crawl” of 17 establishments throughout the District, 19 people were arrested for this offense in 15 bars.

Jacobs cited the Froggy Bottom Pub as a particularly troubled establishment. Sixteen underage drinkers were arrested in only two random visits, which resulted in the pub being shut down for a night. By comparison, Chadwicks and Rhinos also had 16 arrests this month in five and nine visits, respectively. According to Jacobs, 25 of the underage-drinking offenders in March were Georgetown students.

Though he cited no concrete protocol, Jacobs said that establishments are issued citations based on the number of underage drinkers found on their premises. In excessive cases such as Froggy Bottom, officers have discretion to shut them down for the evening. Jacobs also said that underage possession of alcohol and the use of false identification are both arrestable offenses. Under a new statute, perpetrators are required to pay a $300 fine, spend a night in jail, go to court and have their school notified where applicable.