MANKATO — There wasn’t a big grant check or any fancy new law enforcement equipment, just some appreciated recognition for a job well done when it comes to underage drinking.

The Mankato Department of Public Safety was recognized Friday for its educational programs and strong enforcement for underage drinking laws. John Willems, director of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division, traveled to Mankato from St. Paul to present the award.

“Even up there, in the shadow of the (Capitol) dome, you’ve made an impression,” Willems said as he presented the award to Det. Cmdr. Matt DuRose. “What people don’t always fully appreciate is the relationship between alcohol and law enforcement problems.”

It was the first recognition award of its type that Willem’s division has given to a law enforcement agency. He said the award is meant to recognize the commitment Mankato police officers have to reducing underage drinking.

Some examples are the department’s Gold Star Program, which offers incentives to bars that follow strict rules for training, bar employee training programs and enforcement efforts. Enforcement programs include periodic sweeps of apartment complexes through the NightCap Jr. program and alcohol compliance checks of bars.

The work done is part of what makes Mankato a pleasant place to live, Willems said.

“Public safety work really comes down to quality of life issues for Mankato,” he said. “What you really see in Mankato has been a well thought out approach. The real benefactors of all this are the citizens.”

Many of the efforts that are being recognized were the result of a string of tragedies involving people living in the area, or with area ties, who died as a direct result of drinking too much, said Jerry Huettl, Mankato public safety director.

“It’s unfortunate it took the deaths of people to trigger some of our efforts,” Huettl said. “But we’ll remember that for a very long time.”

Statistics at all levels — from city, state or federal law enforcement agencies — show a correlation between the strict enforcement of drinking laws and a reduction of crimes of all types.

Minnesota State University deserves some of the recognition for its own alcohol education programs, an extra effort to provide entertainment alternatives and discipline of students for behavior off campus, Huettl said.

A large house party that resulted in 67 underage drinking citations Friday morning is evidence more work needs to be done. But there’s also evidence the message is being heard, said Lt. Scott McConkey of the State Patrol.

He once asked a student at the university what she thought of the strict enforcement around homecoming and other events.

“Her response was, ‘I’m busy, I have no time to go out drinking, but I understand this used to be a drinking school,’” McConkey said, putting an emphasis on “used to be.”

DuRose said the award provides encouragement for officers to continue their work and for the department to expand an already solid collection of enforcement programs. Those programs will expand by creating more partnerships, he said.

If the department’s method of collecting statistics was perfect, those statistics would show alcohol is involved in an overwhelming percentage of all calls for police assistance, DuRose added.

“This is a lot of things wrapped into one idea of underage drinking enforcement,” he said.