Evanston police say 42 percent of the 19 bars and stores checked last week flunked a test of their procedures for keeping alcohol out of the hands of minors.
The eight businesses cited for failing to card under-age testers were the Dominick’s stores at 1910 Dempster St. and 2748 Green Bay Road, Evanston 1st Liquors at 1019 Davis St., the Jewel Osco at 1128 Chicago Ave., Tommy Nevin’s Pub at 1450 Sherman Ave., the Rhythm Room at 1715 Maple Ave., Union Pizza at 1245 Chicago Ave. and World Market at 1725 Maple Ave.
Police and state liquor control commission officials sent under-age testers to attempt to purchase alcohol at the businesses last Thursday evening. If the businesses fail to check the minor’s age, the business and the sales person are issued citations.
The police offer free BASSET, or Beverage Alcohol Server Seller Education Training, programs to improve liquor law compliance. Business managers interested in signing up for the next four-hour class in September can contact Kerry Demski in the Community Strategies Bureau at 847-866-5019.
These businesses should be ashamed of themselves
This is nothing more than cashiers and bartenders being too lazy or busy to ask for ID, and owners/managers not making it a priority. It’s pathetic that every time the EPD does one of these stings, a number of local businesses fail to follow the laws. Union Pizza should be especially ashamed of themselves, since they’ve only been operating for a few months.
Every time I start to think that this town could use a few more actual liquor stores, or a few more “bars”, I read something like this and it just irritates me. So, thanks dummies… next time a new restaurant/bar tries to open up, I’m sure these stats will be trotted out at the city council meetings as a reason to oppose it.
I used to think the cops should be doing better things with their time, but apparently they need to do these stings once in a while to weed out the idiots who are working at these places.
It’s Not Just the Businesses that Should be Ashamed
perhaps the real surprise in this latest sting is that The Keg was not caught in this go-round. they are still quite notable for not checking IDs, even for 18 year olds. as was noted in the original article, the EPD provides free training with BASSET so the owners and sellers know what the laws and best practices are in serving alcohol to the public. incidentally, Tommy Nevins was caught in the sting. and they were one of the establishments selling alcohol that testified during the last hearings about changes in the local liguor ordinance about how effective and watchful they were about underage drinking.
seems to me that the issue is not just one for the EPD. or even the local places that sell or serve alcohol. until the community members decide that this is an issue and local concern, and insist that the local liquor control board come up with stronger controls, not much is going to change. too frequently, the predominant issue has seemed to be based upon the needs and wants of local establishments.
If you want to spread some shame about?
Shame on the Evanston Police Department for using underage children to entrap businesses into breaking the law. How adult orientated were these kids dressed up to look like adults. Did they pick out the newest looking employees, maybe kids themselves at Jewel and Osco and also Dominicks. I have used the Jewel on Chicago Avenue for as long as they’ve been in Evanston and I’ve always seen and heard them ask for ID. Did the police send someone through a trainee’s line with 50 items and an obscure bottle of liqour. I know what you people are going to say with your air of righteousness but the fact is drug dealers have been allowed to deal from the corner of church and dodge for years in their annual drug raids before ensnaring them. The article sounds like these establishments are hell bent to sell booze to underage children when infact human beings are not infallible in exercising routine boring acts like slinging food products across a conveyer belt.
Seriously, how did The Keg
Seriously, how did The Keg not make the list? I was there on a Thursday night and I thought it was high school night. You know there is a problem when a kid (obviously underage) wearing a New Trier tshirt was carrying around a pitcher of beer.
Silly me, I thought that
Silly me, I thought that keeping alcohol out of the hands of minors is something that parenting is about. Why should it be a police matter? As a society we have become hysterical about using laws instead of parenting and individual responsibility to raise children.
Why is it that the more things that are legally prohibited to minors such as alcohol, drugs, tobacco, firearms and porn, the more that such laws are broken and criminals are created? Is it perhaps because external legal sanctions are inferior to internal discipline, self control and parental disapproval in regulating children’s behavior?
It seems that too many parents are deluded into thinking that laws prohibiting things are an adequate substitute for proper parenting and education. They are relieved that a proliferation of laws regulating their children’s behavior, means that there is less for them, the parents, to do.