The Fargo Liquor Control Board talks about strategies to stop the use of fake IDs

Fargo, North Dakota – The City of Fargo is still looking for measures to reduce the number of phony identification cards that are being accepted at neighborhood bars. Many minor residents are receiving alcohol services in the city as a result of the fictitious IDs.

Tom Volk, a prevention administrator with the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS), gave a presentation to the Liquor Control Board on Wednesday. Volk has direct contact with NDHHS’s Behavioral Health division. Volk stated that “for quite a few years,” the state has been addressing the use of forensic scanners and the detection of phony identification documents.

“We know, through surveys, that approximately 32 percent of our youth, under the age of 21, are using fake IDs to purchase alcohol and other products,” he said. “On top of that, why it’s concerning is that these youth who possess fake IDs are consuming alcohol at greater rates, and seeing greater consequences from that consumption.”

According to Volk, the repercussions might vary from brawls to more severe incidents like sexual assaults or even fatalities.

He demonstrated two different kinds of ID scanners to the board: forensic and barcode scanners. According to him, the department has been marketing the forensic scanner more frequently as of late.

“What we are finding is that they (barcode scanners) are no longer accurate in detecting fake IDs,” Volk said. The barcode scanners are only two-dimensional, whereas the forensic scanneres conduct a “40- to 50-point inspection on the ID” and looks at multiple security features on the ID itself.

The accuracy rate of the forensic scanners is 98 percent.

Although Chairman Dave Piepkorn stated that the talks would go forward, the board did not make any recommendations.