Clear, 32° F
Staff at Powell’s bars and liquor stores aced a police test last week: Employees at 11 establishments all refused to sell alcohol to an underage customer dispatched by police.
In accordance …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
The Powell Tribune has expanded its online content. To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free web account by clicking here.
If you already have a web account, but need to reset it, you can do so by clicking here.
If you would like to purchase a subscription click here.
Please log in to continue |
|
Staff at Powell’s bars and liquor stores aced a police test last week: Employees at 11 establishments all refused to sell alcohol to an underage customer dispatched by police.
In accordance with state law, authorities periodically conduct “compliance checks” to ensure that liquor license holders are not selling alcohol to people under the age of 21. Police choose someone who’s at least 18 but younger than 21 and supervise as the youth tries to purchase an alcoholic beverage.
If the employee serves the underage customer, they’re typically issued a criminal citation — which can bring hundreds of dollars of financial penalties and probation — while the business receives a negative mark in the annual review of its license. In contrast, if the employee follows the law and refuses to serve the young person, police may provide a gift card as a reward and the business gets a positive write-up.
During the checks performed on Dec. 28, the would-be buyer was turned away at each stop: the Backstreet Pub, Blair’s Market, K-Bar Saloon, Lamplighter Inn, The Market at Powell (Mr. D’s Food Center), Maverik, The Peaks, Pit Stop Travel Center #11, Pizza Hut, The Red Zone and Sage Brews Wine Spirits.
“The businesses and employees who successfully passed the compliance check deserve well-earned congratulations for their diligence in preventing alcohol sales to underage purchasers,” Powell police said in a Facebook post.
The city’s bars, restaurants, fraternal organizations and brewery are coming off what Police Chief Roy Eckerdt called an “outstanding” 2021-2022, in which all 22 license holders received only positive marks from police. That included 10 businesses passing compliance checks last May.
Authorities are not allowed to engage in trickery during the checks. For instance, state law says law enforcement agencies can’t alter the buyer’s appearance to make them look older. If asked for identification, the youth must produce their actual ID and if asked how old they are, they must state their true age and acknowledge they’re under 21.
