Sting Operations Show Which Businesses Sold Booze and Smokes to Minors
(Lt. William Wilson, Jan. 16, 2013)
Ferndale Police have been working with the assistance of the Southeast Oakland County Coalition in an effort to assure that stores are not selling alcohol or tobacco to under aged people. The police department intends to continue “sting” operations and inspections of stores, bars, and restaurants in the City.
Considering the number of establishments that sell alcohol or tobacco, investigations have demonstrated that there relatively few violations. However, the police department plans to continue to use investigations and enforcement action to achieve an ongoing compliance rate of 100%.
On 01/11/2013 Ferndale Detective Simpson met with a volunteer with the Southeast Oakland County Coalition, and 17 years old young man volunteer. They conducted tobacco compliance inspections at merchants in the City of Ferndale.
TOBACCO STINGS:
Twenty five of the 26 establishments refused to sell cigarettes to the minor.
Only Morgante’s Party Store at 1915 E. 9 Mile Road failed the test when a clerk sold cigarettes to the boy. The clerk was issued a ticket. The investigation is ongoing to determine whether Ferndale Police will turn the matter over to the Liquor Control Commission for administrative action. Because the store sells liquor, the violation of law by selling cigarettes could result in administrative penalties.
Happily, successful compliance was found when the youth attempted to purchase tobacco at the following merchants and was denied:
Rite Aid, 22346 Woodward
7 11, 805 E Nine Mile
Vega Market, 2800 Hilton
9 and Hilton Market, 823 E. Nine Mile
Stop and Go Deli, 1365 E. Nine Mile
BP Gas, 1710 Hilton
CVS, 539 E. Nine Mile
Heights Food Center, 510 Woodward Heights
Marathon, 3371 Hilton
Paradise Liquor, 3237 Hilton
Get and Go Market, 3366 Hilton
State Fair Market, 726 Hilton
Mobil Gas, 561 E. Eight Mile
Shell Gas, 1200 W. Eight Mile
Gitgo Gas, 140 Pinecrest
Gitgo Gas, 1351 W. Nine Mile
Ardmore Party Store, 1318 W. Nine Mile
7 11, 1040 W. Nine Mile
CVS, 900 W. Nine Mile
Joes Party Store, 733 W. Nine Mile
Kens Market, 504 Livernois,
Mobil Gas, 22500 Woodward
One Stop, 22008 Woodward
Rainbow Party Store, 23329 Woodward
Wild Bills Tobacco, 270 W. Nine Mile
ALCOHOL STINGS:
Ferndale police have teamed up several times in the last couple of years with the Southeast Oakland County Coalition in decoy operations to determine what stores would sell alcohol to minors. All stores authorized to sell alcohol have been scrutinized. All stores except the following have passed the tests by refusing to sell to minor.
1. FERNDALE ONE STOP located at 22008 Woodward failed the sting operations by selling beer to a minor on July 28, 2011. In this case the clerk was issued a citation and the matter was turned over to the LCC for administrative action.
2. HEIGHTS FOOD CENTER located at 510 Woodward Heights also failed a test on July 28, 2011 when a clerk there sold beer to a minor decoy. In that instance a clerk lied to the police about his identity. He was eventually arrested for selling alcohol to a minor and providing false identity to the police. The store had no history of violations and the owners appeared to be cooperative in the investigation, so the matter was not referred to the LCC.
3. HEIGHTS FOOD CENTER failed another sting operation on August 8, 2012 when a clerk sold beer to a minor decoy. The clerk was issued a violation and the matter referred to the LCC. A hearing is pending before the LCC.
4. FERNDALE FOODS located at 600 W. 9 Mile was visited by a police decoy on August 8, 2012 and a clerk sold beer to the minor. The clerk was issued a citation for making the sale. The store has a history of refusing sales to minors and the owners make efforts to assure such sales are averted. The owners cooperated with the police with the investigation and made efforts to assure future incidents would be avoided, so the matter was not referred to the LCC.
5. CVS located at 900 W. 9 Mile had a clerk sell beer to a minor decoy on August 8, 2012. The clerk was issued a citation for furnishing alcohol to a minor. The matter has been referred to the LCC and a future hearing is pending.
If anybody has knowledge of illegal sales of alcohol or tobacco to minors by merchants in Ferndale, we encourage them to notify the Ferndale Police Department.
The Michigan Liquor Control Commission has a website that people can visit if they want to know if liquor establishments have a history of violations.
