By Lt. Steve Warren, Clarksville Police Department
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) Agents of the Clarksville Police Departments Special Operations Unit conducted compliance checks on nine businesses Feb. 11, targeting sales of alcohol to underage persons. Four of the businesses checked were cited for selling alcohol to underage persons:
• Tarboosh of Clarksville, LLC, 117 Franklin St.
• Blackhorse Brewery, 132 Franklin St.
• Hops Road, 101 Strawberry Alley
• Ruby Tuesday, Inc., 1826 Ft Campbell Blvd.
Captain Craig Gipson, the Special Operations Unit Commander, stated, “since January 1, 43 businesses have been checked for compliance with ten businesses or 23 percent being cited for selling alcohol to underage persons. While the majority of businesses comply with the law, any business selling alcohol to underage persons is unacceptable.”
Business employees who serve to underage customers receive a criminal citation, appear in court and typically lose their jobs. The businesses are summoned before the City Beer Board where they are subject to civil penalties and possible loss of their beer permits.
Gipson added, “The majority of businesses train their employees well and are found to be in compliance with the law. These businesses have one common denominator: they not only require identification from everyone who purchases alcohol, but they actually look at the birthdates on the identification to ensure their customers are 21-years-old.”
With dedicated ABC Agents whose primary focus is the enforcement of city and state ABC laws, the conducting of compliance checks, as well as regulatory checks are here to stay.
Gipson issued a word of caution. “If you fail to ask for identification and serve alcohol, the next person asking for identification just may be an ABC agent asking for yours,” he said.
Agent Lee and Agent Steinlage are the lead investigators. To report sales of alcohol to underage persons contact the Special Operations Unit at 645-1126 or Crime Stoppers at 645-8477.