Summer Compliance Checks Underway
Area law enforcement agencies, in partnership with the Jackson County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (JCSAPC), are conducting alcohol compliance checks this summer to make sure retailers aren’t selling alcohol to minors. Vendors, both restaurants and retail stores, may be included in these checks. “When things get busy at a store’s checkout counter, it’s easy for the cashier to forget to verify if a person is buying alcohol legally,” said Matthew Heins, Director of Police and Fire Services, Jackson Police Department. “We do compliance checks both to remind retailers of the law and to enforce it where necessary. Our goal is to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors, helping keep them safe and our community secure.” Heins – “We want to partner with the stores to ensure they have the tools and knowledge necessary to address the issue of selling to minors so we can reach our goal of 100% compliance.” A compliance check works like this: An underage individual, under supervision of a law enforcement officer, attempts to buy alcohol at a retail business. If the employee making the sale doesn’t verify the person’s age, and therefore sells to a minor, both the employee and the business will…