Eight Businesses Sell Alcohol To Minors

May 14, 2012

Employees at eight Pensacola businesses were charged with misdemeanors after they illegally sold alcohol to an underage buyer, according to the Pensacola Police Department.

Pensacola Police Vice and Narcotics officers supervised an undercover female police agent under the age of 21 who went into 20 stores during the 6-hour sweep and tried to purchase
alcohol. Employees who were charged with selling alcohol to a minor either didn’t check identification or checked it improperly, police said.

Employees at the following businesses were cited for improper sales:

  • The Ticket Sports Bar, 820 E. Gregory St.
  • BP gas station, One W. Cervantes St.
  • Fleet Express gas station, 400 E. Gregory St.
  • Circle K, 3013 E. Cervantes St.
  • Circle K, 1201 E. Cervantes St.
  • BP gas station, 2111 W. Garden St.
  • Chicago Store, 2200 N. Davis Highway
  • Short Stop Pantry, 707 N. Pace Blvd.

Pensacola Police said they are done with the underage alcohol sweeps; they plan more unannounced undercover operations to check compliance with alcohol laws.

Comments

5 Responses to “Eight Businesses Sell Alcohol To Minors”

  1. Sarah Jones on May 16th, 2012 10:43 am

    When teenagers are working with the police, it does NOT always mean they have been in trouble in anyway and are trying to get a lesser charge. They could already be working ffor the Sherrifs Office or Police Department. There are ways to be employed by these agencies at an early age (18/19). I work at a gas station, and unless the people who are attempting to buy alcohol or tabacco look like they are 100 years old I i.d. that person. The last time my store had a sting, the supervisor came in and told us “Thanks for actually checking for his i.d. and refusing the sale.”

  2. Tired on May 15th, 2012 10:42 pm

    Always have them pull their license out and look at the back…. if the back says “for entertainment purposes only” it’s a fake id and the maker of it cannot be arrested, as after all, it was for entertainment only…….. Learned this in bartending training…..

  3. JM on May 14th, 2012 11:20 am

    Well I personally found it very interesting where they targeted, unless they’re saying
    they hit all over town but that’s the only stores with these infractions. I find that
    very hard to believe as I have seen and heard of some of the things that have
    gone on in the middle of the night at some of the other convenience stores
    including some of Tom’s..

  4. Samantha on May 14th, 2012 7:40 am

    I do not agree that it is probably kids trying to get a lesser charge. There is a website where you can sign up to be one if you need a job.

  5. Janice Parker on May 14th, 2012 6:09 am

    As a former employee of convenience stores, I realize that this is an ongoing problem but there are ways a clerk can protect themselves other than being careful who you sell to. Unless I was mis-informed, it is a felony for an underage person to attempt to buy tobacco or alcohol. I know that a clerk has the right to seize the fake ID, drivers license or not. Now, if I’m right about it being a crime to attempt to buy, these agents of the police dept. or whoever, have these underage kids out there breaking the law to entrap people. And some of these young people are probably doing it to get a lesser charge on something else they’ve been charged with. With cameras on cell phones, I believe I would be taking a picture of these young people to take to court with me if I needed it. Some of them don’t look that young. And by the way, I never had a problem. If anyone ever got by me, I never knew it.