In all, the law enforcement agencies investigated 42 businesses.
“We’ll send in an undercover person who is underage in an attempt to purchase alcohol in a store or bar,” said John Davis, public information officer for Centerville police.
The seven stores cited were: Dollar General, 892 South Main St. and Larosa’s, 291 East Alex Bell Rd. both in Centerville; and Circle M, 150 East Spring Valley Rd.; Mack’s Tavern, 381 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd.; Ollie’s Place, 518 Miamisburg Centerville Rd.; Shell, 360 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd.; and Walgreens, 1402 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd., all in Washington Twp.
In some cases the clerk simply forgot to ask the customer for identification or read the birthday wrong on the drivers license.
Gus Stathes, general manager of Ollie’s Place, said even if was a mistake, it is a serious matter.
“Our policy is that we ask for I.D. if the patron looks younger than 45,” Stathes said.
The clerks who were cited will face a first degree misdemeanor charge, police said. They are expected to appear in Kettering Municipal Court on Thursday, May 12. Stathes said his employee also faces disciplinary action.
Police tell businesses that an investigation is planned, but don’t give them an exact date. Davis said the operations were done towards the end of the school year because that is a time when young people are likely to experiment with alcohol.
“Coming into graduation season, You’ve still got some proms going on,” Davis said. “We want to make sure that people are checking for identification to keep (alcohol) out of children’s hands.”
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