Underage Enforcement—

Alcohol Sting Cites Local Liquor Store

By Andrew Gorosko

As part of an ongoing campaign to cut local underage drinking, police recently conducted an undercover investigation in which the State Liquor Control Division cited one liquor store for two liquor violations.

Police Detective Sergeant Robert Tvardzik said May 21 that in a joint effort, town police and state liquor officials conducted a alcohol sting operation at 13 local establishments that sell alcohol over the counter to the public. Those businesses include package stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores.

One of those businesses — Newtown Wine and Spirits at 113 South Main Street — sold alcohol to an underage undercover agent working for the state liquor agency, Det Sgt Tvardzik said. The other 12 establishments did not sell alcohol to the undercover agent, he noted.

The liquor store was cited on the administrative charges of sale of alcohol to a minor and also failure to provide age statement forms. Businesses that sell alcohol are required to keep on hand forms that potential alcohol buyers may sign attesting that they are of legal age, if those buyers do not have suitable identification for an alcohol purchase.

The liquor control unit will air the administrative violations at a state Department of Consumer Protection hearing, Det Sgt Tvardzik said. The package store’s permittee and the person who illegally sold the alcohol to the undercover agent could suffer various penalties due to the violations, Det Sgt Tvardzik said.

He said he considers that having 12 out of 13 businesses refuse to sell alcohol to the undercover agent to be evidence that local alcohol-sales businesses comply will the liquor laws. “We were pleased with the outcome,” he said.

Enforcement Project

During the past several weeks, police have encountered a number of violations in their drive to curb underage drinking.

Det Sgt Tvardzik said that since the enforcement project began at the end of April, police have issued violations in nine instances of underage alcohol possession. Of the nine violations, seven involved arrests, and two involved the issuance of written warnings, he said.

With the coming of warm weather and more outdoor gatherings, police started the special enforcement project to curb underage drinking in public and private settings.

Police have been conducting surveillance at various locations. The work involves watching for violations at establishments that sell alcohol, as well as monitoring activity at settings where underage alcohol consumption has occurred in the past, such as public parks and isolated byways. The police project to curb underage drinking follows a recent police effort to more strictly enforce drug laws.

A recent town ordinance expands the police’s ability to enforce underage drinking violations, providing police with certain powers to enforce underage alcohol violations that occur on private property. Underage youths found to be illegally in possession of alcohol on private property may be issued a town infraction, which carries a $92 fine.

Police are using grant money to cover the overtime hours required for added patrols for underage alcohol enforcement.

During the first phase of the enforcement program, police recently met with package store, grocery store, and restaurant managers to explain that town police will be expanding their enforcement of underage drinking laws.

Det Sgt Tvardzik said police plan to continue their increased enforcement of underage drinking violations into the summer months.

Also, with the coming of summer, police plan to conduct sobriety checkpoints in various locations. In those enforcement projects, all vehicles passing a checkpoint are stopped by police and the drivers are interviewed to learn whether they have been drinking alcohol or using drugs. Such checkpoints also turn up a variety of motor vehicle violations.