Businesses cited for selling alcohol to minors

The Independence Police Department has released results of a three-prong liquor control compliance check conducted in May and June.
From 5 to 10 p.m. on May 22 and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 20, three teams of officers and detectives used underage “buyers” from the department’s Junior Citizen’s Police Academy to conduct compliance checks on 72 area businesses that serve alcoholic beverages.
These nine businesses were cited in May for selling alcohol to minors: My Grain, 1324 S. Noland Road; Shell Service Station, 3459 S. Sterling Ave.; Independence Liquors, 11100 E. U.S. 40; David’s, 3302 Blue Ridge Cut-Off; Kentucky Road BP, 18700 E. U.S. 24; Price Chopper 16611 E. 23rd St.; CVS, 1545 E. 23rd St.; Stop N Go, 603 E. 23rd St.; Price Chopper, 4201 S. Noland Road.
In June, another nine businesses were cited: Sterling Apple Mart, 11215 E. U.S. 24; Kern’s Liquors, 9013 E. U.S. 40; Sandbar 9807, E. U.S. 40; Phillips/Conoco, 17600 E. 39th St.; Applebee’s Restaurant at Independence Center; Happy Hour, 19341, E. U.S. 40; On The Border, 19921 E. Jackson Drive; Chipotle, 18880 E. Valley View Drive; Fuddrucker’s, 4400 S. Noland Road.
Independence Police Sgt. Don Fowler said clerks responsible for selling alcohol to a minor are charged and face court dates in Municipal Court, while owners or general managers appear before the city’s liquor control officer, Terry Hartwig, for an administrative hearing.
“(Hartwig) listens to both sides,” Fowler said, “and then decides if the business’ liquor license should be suspended or not and for how long.”
Fowler said liquor license suspensions vary in length depending on the circumstances of each citation. At the municipal level, if a clerk is found guilty of selling alcohol to a minor, penalties range from one day to six months in jail and/or a fine from $1 to $500.
“I’ve never seen anyone get jail time, but it all depends on the judge,” Fowler said. “I don’t want to speak for them.”
Fowler said during compliance checks he has continuously seen clerks make the same mistake when it comes to asking for identification of the alcohol “buyers.”
Every “buyer” or participant in the operations was 18 years old and used their original state-issued driver’s licenses when asked to present identification.
“I don’t know if it’s apathy or laziness or the clerks have trouble computing the dates, but we have been working with businesses to get them to read the licenses correctly,” Fowler said.