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7 Burlington stores found to sell alcohol to minor
By Brent Killackey - Journal Times
They can't say they weren't warned.
Focus on Community, a nonprofit community agency that works with local law enforcement on alcohol compliance checks, announced in late March that a fourth round of checks - testing whether businesses would sell alcohol to a minor - had begun.
But apparently, a majority of Burlington liquor, grocery and convenience stores weren't paying attention.
March 28 checks Clerks at seven of 13 Burlington liquor, grocery and convenience stores sold alcohol to a minor who was working with police during March 28 compliance checks, according to the Burlington Police Department.
"It's a disappointing number," said Detective Sgt. Bret Maus of the Burlington Police
Department.
Clerks were issued $293 citations for selling alcohol to a minor at the following businesses: * Spiegelhoff's Pick `n Save, 120 Milwaukee Ave.
* Vista, 364 Milwaukee Ave.
* Burlington Quick N Save, 256 W. State St.
* Big K Mart, 1058 Milwaukee Ave.
* J&L Oil Inc., 500 E. State St.
* McHenry Street Depot, 656 McHenry St.
* B.P. Amoco, 224 E. Washington Ave.
None of the businesses that sold to a minor asked for identification from the 19-year-old volunteer, Maus said.
The results from the recent compliance checks mark a spike in citations from the two previous checks in the spring and fall of 2005, when only two businesses sold to a minor each time. During the first checks in summer of 2004, four businesses were caught.
"This is the worst they've ever done (in Burlington)," said Mary Esther Schnaubelt, project coordinator with FOCUS.
Second time cited For Vista, Burlington Quick N Save, J&L Oil Inc. and McHenry Street Depot, Tuesday's citations marked the second time clerks had been cited for selling alcohol to a minor since Focus began working with local law enforcement on alcohol compliance checks in the summer of 2004, Schnaubelt said.
"Everyone has a bum clerk sometimes. When you start getting into repeat sales in a store, you really have to question the culture in the store and the police regarding sales," Schnaubelt said.
Burlington police planned to work with Focus to educate business owners about avoiding sales to minors, Maus said.
And Burlington businesses won't always get warnings of compliance checks.
"If we get information that someone continues to sell, we will do an immediate undercover buy," Maus said, noting the police used that tactic to bust a business selling to college students a few months ago. "We don't wait for compliance check time to come."
In late March, Focus announced a new round of compliance checks had been started with a test of Sturtevant liquor, grocery and convenience stores on March 12. At two of the five establishments, clerks were cited for selling to a minor, according to Sturtevant Police.
In the coming weeks, compliance checks will be conducted elsewhere in Racine County, including Racine and Mount Pleasant, Schnaubelt said.
Focus has been targeting underage drinking after recent surveys and studies showed alcohol consumption by Racine County youths at all grade levels was higher than national and state averages.
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