ATTLEBORO, NORTH ATTLEBORO, MANSFIELD AND NORTON POLICE DEPARTMENTS JOIN FORCES WITH RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS TO COMBAT ILLEGAL PURCHASES OF ALCOHOL BY MINORS
Program puts undercover officers directly into stores
NORTH ATTLEBORO, MA - Attleboro, North Attleboro, Mansfield and Norton minors will find it tougher than ever to buy alcoholic beverages because of a program called Cops in Shops. The program was announced today at the North Attleboro Police Department.
The operation is a cooperative effort between retailers and the police departments of Attleboro, North Attleboro, Mansfield and Norton. The program also has the support of the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, the Governor’s Highway Safety Bureau, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office and The Century Council, a national non-profit organization dedicated to reducing drunken driving and underage drinking problems.
Cops in Shops features law enforcement officers posing as employees or customers of participating establishments. This places the focus on the perpetrators - - those individuals who try to purchase alcohol illegally. Undercover officers will also be working outside the establishments to deter or apprehend adults who procure alcohol for minors.
“We welcome the opportunity to partner with law enforcement officials to combat the issues of underage drinking and the illegal procurement of alcohol. We are very enthusiastic about this program,” said Chris Gasbarro an organizer of the cooperative program and owner of Seekonk’s Fine Wine & Spirits and North Attleboro’s Capodanno’s Package Store.
Establishments participating in the program will display signs on their front windows and cold-cases with the message, “Warning: Police Officers May Be Posing As Store Employees”. The Cops in Shops Program is scheduled to continue randomly and indefinitely.
“An important aspect of this program is its flexibility. Undercover officers may be in any store, at any time,” said Attleboro Police Chief Richard Pierce. “This program sends a clear message to minors – if you’re too young to buy, don’t even try. We are confident that this program will allow us to be pro-active in discouraging minors’ attempts to purchase alcohol illegally.”
According to Massachusetts law, anyone under age 21 who attempts to purchase alcoholic beverages is subject to a fine of up to $300 and 180 days suspension of their driver’s license. Adults who purchase, procure or furnish alcohol to a person under 21 years of age are subject to a fine of up to $2,000 and/or a jail term of up to one year.
“The issue of illegal underage drinking is one of great importance to the local chiefs,” said Chief Pierce. “Minors are often not held accountable for violations of the Massachusetts’ underage drinking laws and this program should help to hold them accountable and remind them there are serious consequences when they break the law.”
Funding support for the program has been provided through a cooperative effort by the local retailers and the local police departments. The donations from the retail establishments will help to defray the costs of the Cops in Shops program. Last year, Attleboro, North Attleboro, Mansfield and Norton received grant money made available by the EOPSS-HSD (Executive Office of Public Safety and Security - Highway Safety Division). The 2009 Underage Alcohol Enforcement Grant provided funding for enforcement of underage alcohol laws through activities such as compliance checks, reverse stings, party patrols, surveillance patrols, and cops in shops programs. Chief Pierce said that the local chiefs were unsure if the grant funding from the state would continue and they
were grateful to the retailers that donated funding to establish and continue the Cops in Shops Program.
“The participating local establishments should be very proud of their stance in helping us prevent underage drinking,” said Pierce. “They are sending a clear message that illegal procurement of alcoholic beverages and underage drinking will not be tolerated in our communities.”
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