Positive Results from New Alcohol Servers & Sellers Training

Current
January 2009

The Red Wing Police Department conducts underage alcohol compliance checks at area businesses twice annually. The intent is to minimize youth access to alcohol in the community.

On December 15, two Red Wing officers and two underage buyers conducted 22 alcohol compliance checks. All the businesses passed the compliance checks by not selling alcohol to the underage buyers.

Police Chief Tim Sletten said, “I’m thrilled with the results of these checks. It demonstrates the success of the new training program for those who sell and serve alcohol and of the work being done by the Chemical Health Initiative. It also shows that our liquor establishments know just how important it is to not sell alcohol to underage customers. Their commitment to this is greatly appreciated. This is an exciting step toward creating a safer and healthier community for our youth.”

The Police Department will continue to conduct alcohol compliance checks periodically. If a business fails such a check, it may have its liquor license suspended or revoked. Clerks who sell to underage buyers are charged personally and face fines or possible jail time.

Illegal Liquor Sales

A WCCO news report identified the liquor store clerk from Inver Grove Heights who was sentenced to jail for selling alcohol to a teen-ager without checking for identification. That teenager later got into a car, ran a red light, and killed a University of Minnesota student when she was only blocks away from her home in Apple Valley. The 19 year old driving the car was tested at a .20 BAC; she was eventually given a four-year prison sentence. Vue, the person who illegally sold the teenage driver the alcohol, was sentenced to three months in jail by a Dakota County Judge on August 11th. To learn more about this tragic incident click on http://wcco.com/crime/clerk.convicted.crash.2.793008.html.

Red Wing and Wanamingo City Councils have passed city ordinances requiring all sellers and servers of liquor to complete a responsible beverage service training course and to pass a test that checks their knowledge of Minnesota laws pertaining to alcohol. (The course also provides tips to sellers and servers about detecting underage drinkers who attempting to obtain liquor.) These training ordinances have been proven to reduce the availability of liquor to underage drinkers in communities. When liquor is sold illegally, community residents are placed at risk. The tragedy experienced by the families involved in the drunken teen crash is what the CHI is working to eliminate in Goodhue County. Liquor licensees in Goodhue County do not want to sell liquor illegally. Requiring training courses helps licensees hire and retain employees who are professional and diligent about keeping children and families safe from alcohol-related tragedies.