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<br />Targeting underage drinking <br /> <br /> <br />the latest <br />latest news <br />DfIiQ <br />news <br />metro/reQlon <br />north <br />.1QYtb. <br />w.ut <br />nationlworld <br />politics <br />9ut there <br />live earn <br />news graphles <br />photographs <br />obituaries <br />archive <br />stories <br />corrections <br />reprints <br />projects <br />business <br />technology <br />sports <br />gophers <br />Jnlx <br />twins <br />vikings <br />wild. <br />wolves <br />high schools <br />outdoors <br />variety <br />books <br />tuti <br />.~ <br /> <br />Page 1of3 <br /> <br />Weh <br />w <br /> <br />news freetime travel shopping cars hom~s jQb$ <br />metro/region nationlworld porlties business sports variety opinion fun. talk c1asslfieds <br /> <br />Last update: November 2S, 2004 at 11:15 AM <br />Targeting underage drinking <br />, Ben Stevennan, Star Tribune <br />Novernber24, 2004 WLIQUOR1124 <br /> <br />. _.._____~~____, '.__~ _~. ___._._~_.._.._..____"_'.' ...__....._..____.H_.__.____ <br /> <br />Age 21 or 99, everyone soon may need to bring their IDs to buy alcohol <br />at Hopkins restamants and liquor stores. <br /> <br />One-tbird of HopkinsJ liquor stores and'restaUrants . sold alCohol to minors <br />during the most recent round of police checks, leading police to propose <br />a change to liquor laws. <br /> <br />But instead of tightening laws by increasing fines and pena1ties,the <br />police department wants to give businesses incentives to provide better <br />1raining for employees so they can help prevent underage drinking, And <br />one of the outcomes could be carding for everyone. <br /> <br />The program is modeled on one Plymouth started in 2001 after 40 <br />percent of its businesses failed compliance checks during 1999. Since it <br />started its new program, Plymouth's failure rate has steadily fallen; it was <br />6.2 perCent last year. <br /> <br />Hopkins Police Chief Craig Reid was convinced that Hopkins needed to <br />try Plymouth's approach after a recent visit to a restaurant in Plymouth. <br />Reid and his wife ordered wine with their meals, but his wife hadn't <br />brought identification, so the waitress politely told them that they <br />couldn't be served alcohol. <br /> <br />Reid said he was impressed that the young waitress, thanks to her <br />training, felt confident enough to enforce strict rules even when the <br />buyers were clearly over 21. "It sounds silly ,but it gave them the tools <br />they needed, R he said of the program. <br /> <br />Training employees is the key to preventing liquor sales to underage <br />buyers, Reid said. "You can't expect a police officer to be there every <br />time a minor tries to make a purchase." <br /> <br />In Plymouth, businesses that want to participate in the program must <br />have 75 percent of their employees trained by police officers on liquor <br />laws and how to detect fake IDs. Businesses.also must take other steps, <br />such as rewarding employees who catch underage buyers. <br /> <br />If they participate in the voluntary program., restaurants, bars and liquor <br />stores face less severe penalties when liquor violations do occur. If a <br />participating business fails a compliance check in Plymouth, it gets a <br />$500 fine for a:first offense. But unlike businesses that dQD.'t participate <br />in the program, it doesn't have its license suspended for five days. <br />Participating businesses with clean records also can get a discount on <br />their liquor license, which can cost thousands of dollars. <br /> <br />http://www.startribune.comIstories/1405/5099215.html <br /> <br />Cer <br /> <br />Story toe <br />i1I Ernail th <br />"AIM this <br />II Print th~ <br />e Make Uf <br />homepa <br />Search <br />I <br />I News <br />I~I <br />More oDtlor <br />I TOF <br />Legal-C <br />Coordln~ <br />NatIonal, <br />Forum ...' <br />Constru( .:: <br />Homes 0 <br />Thompso <br />LegalSE <br />Thomsen <br />Nybeck <br />lakesidE <br />Ltc. Jot. <br />Tues. N( <br />Lakeside <br />Lle <br />Paraprof <br />Blooming <br />Schools <br />Student , <br />Cashier. <br />St. Cathrl <br />View All' <br />Browse n <br />Classiflec <br />Homes <br />Rentals <br />Shoppin, <br /> <br />11/23/2004 <br />