HOULTON, Maine — A compliance check recently conducted in Aroostook County to ensure that businesses that sell alcohol are complying with Maine’s liquor laws produced disappointing news, as nearly half of the establishments targeted were cited by police.
Deputy Kris Malmbourg of the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department said earlier this week that 33 establishments, including restaurants and stores, around The County were checked for liquor law compliance as part of the Underage Drinking, Adult Consequences campaign. Of those, 13 were summoned for violations.
Aroostook County was selected last month as one of only four sites in the nation to participate in the underage drinking project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Community Voices, a countywide organization that works to curb substance abuse among youths, was awarded a $325,000 grant, which it is using to work with 11 law enforcement groups on a pilot project to get alcohol out of the hands of minors.
Malmbourg said the most recent compliance checks were part of the initiative and are being conducted to reduce the number of underage drinkers and the number of underage drinking and driving fatalities in The County. They also are being conducted to deter those who provide alcohol to youths.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, teens are at far greater risk of death in an alcohol-related crash than the overall population, despite the fact that they are below the minimum drinking age in every state. Thirty one percent of 15- to 20-year-old drivers who were killed in crashes nationally in 2006 had been drinking.
According to Maine’s office of substance abuse, a 2008 statewide survey reported that 48.8 percent of Maine students in grades seven through 12 had tried alcohol. Research also has shown that 40 percent of children who begin drinking before age 15 will develop alcohol abuse or dependence at some point in their lives.
Malmbourg pointed out that 142 people died in Maine from 2006 to 2010 as a result of a crash involving a 15- to 20-year-old driver with a blood alcohol content of 0.01 or above. In 2010 alone, 22 percent of 15- to 20-year-old drivers involved in traffic fatalities in Maine had a blood alcohol content of 0.01 or above.
“One careless decision by a young person can end and destroy lives,” Malmborg said. “We know we have more work to do, but if we got across to just one teen who might have otherwise chosen to drink and drive, we’ve accomplished something and hopefully changed lives. And if we’re able to reduce their access to alcohol, that’s tackling the first part of the problem.”
Along with the 13 establishments summoned for noncompliance, the additional road patrols in Aroostook resulted in youth transportation and possession of alcohol citations, as well as citations for adults furnishing a place for minors to consume and alcohol for minors to consume. Other violations not alcohol-related were dealt with as a result of the increased patrols, ranging from driving violations to drug violations, according to Malmbourg.
“Local enforcement officials and community partners came together for this campaign, and we believe it was a tremendous success,” he said. “Hopefully, the teens in our community now know we will not tolerate underage drinking, and just as importantly, the adults and organizations who provide the alcohol know they also face serious consequences.”
This is not the first time that compliance checks have revealed that not all County businesses are enforcing the state’s liquor laws. In March 2011, the Sheriff’s Department oversaw an operation that had minors attempt to buy alcohol at 43 businesses stretching from Macwahoc to Fort Kent.
Twenty-three of the establishments sold alcohol to the minors and were summoned for the violation, according to Sheriff Jim Madore.
During the summer of 2010 in Caribou, the Police Department selected 12 local businesses where alcohol is served.
Fifty percent of the businesses failed the test and sold the minor alcohol, according to Caribou Chief Mike Gahagan.
Gahagan said at the time that he was stunned by the results, especially since the department offers free responsible beverage training to businesses in the city.
Michelle Plourde Chasse, Community Voices project manager, said Friday afternoon that she also was disappointed with the results. She noted that compliance checks that were conducted in January revealed an almost 50 percent failure rate. That rate is slightly lower this time.
“I wish there was a magic button because I would push it,” she said. “We will continue to offer training twice a year to businesses in this area and we are going to continue with compliance checks.”
The project manager said she believes that it would be helpful to immediately list the names of businesses that were summoned in order to let parents and others know that they were cited. But the names have not been released in the past until the cases were settled in court, and Plourde Chasse did not have the list of businesses that were cited during this round of checks.
Penalties for the violations can result in a fine, license suspension or both. Fines for stores start at between $550 and $1,500 for a first violation, depending on the number of offenses.
The next wave of compliance checks will start this month and the enforcement campaign will continue throughout the year.
Places that sell liquor should operate like Fenway Park. Johnny Pesky gets carded there. No exceptions. Cashiers would not be put in the position of deciding who looks old enough.
the big apple in orono does that. my 94 year old grandfather was turned down because he didnt have his license with him. they dont screw around
That is because Big Apple was nailed not that long ago and was hit with a huge fine. Even the Big Apple’s in Bangor are the same way. You have to show a valid ID or they will not sell it to you.
That is just plain STUPID to card anybody with gray hair. People should have to use their brains once in a while. Why hassle old people just because there are strict regulations? Use your brain people; you can tell who is definitely too old to be of worry
The way they run these checks is really cool. They find someone who is underage but looks much older thanh they really are. Then they time their stings so that they get the cashiers at their busiest. Then they act like big time detectives and nail some poor person making minimum wage for selling liquor to a minor. They lose their job and can’t collect unemployment because they were fired for just cause. Great job all around.
I usually agree with most of your posts, but this one is a little off. It’s not that they “nail some poor person making minimum wage”……..part of the cashiers job is to check ID’s. I have been working when these stings go on. It’s nothing to ask for an ID. It’s part of the job and if you value your job, you will ask for an ID. No one will “get nailed” if they do their job. You can usually pick the kids out that are part of said stings. They act nervous, come in and pick up any alcohol and come to the register. The car they come in is usually parked out of view of any windows near the register. Last time I was working and this happened, the kids gave me a dirty look the whole way out of the store and even as they went by the window, they were still glaring. I look at it this way……..it’s my job to ask for ID or I get a fine and so does my boss. I’ll take the dirty looks over a fine any day!
I agree with you that it’s the cashiers job to check ID’s. I have seen how these deals work also.
I’m sure you have! You’ve worked within the jail/prison system, correct? Or do I have you confused with someone else?
Plus over 30 years driving truck. It’s just human nature to get complacent. For minimum wage today you get what you pay for. It is unfortunate that management will throw somebody under the bus in a nano second to protect themselves.
I’ll give you one instance of management loyalty. Back in the early 90’s there was a clerk working at the Calais convenience store who saved Irving Oil a large amount of money because he refused to sell beer to a drunk. The drunk threw a fit and the beer at the clerk. He then proceeded out the door and got in his car and drove down the street and crashed into a parked car. He tried to claim that the clerk sold him beer. It didn’t fly.
A month or so later the clerk was busting his butt trying to cash out customers. Back then cross border shopping was going great guns. He was stuck working by himself and they had a rush with about 10 people waiting to pay their bills.
The liquor control agents pulled their sting on this clerk at that time. Using a guy that I would have guessed to be pushing 30. He was actually 20.
The result was that the clerk was fired.
I later found out that the decoy was caught for possetion of alcohol and was coerced into doing stings for the Liquor Control Board.
You’re right, they do pull their stings when it’s busy!
Something else that needs to be done, and I know there has been grant money awarded for this…..break up underage drinking parties. I KNOW of people who have let the WCSD know when and where there are parties, and NOTHING is done!
There are a lot of times that all police know of teen drinking parties. There also has to be coverage for the whole county. They have done raids and have made arrests. The fact is that they can’t all of a sudden bring in the whole county coverage on a moments notice to converge on a party. The teens know this and time their parties for when the patrol coverage is thin.
There is also the safety factor of sending in one officer in the middle of a drinking party. Not really a smart thing to do.
I know of people who notified the sheriff’s dept at least a week before there was going to be a party. I also know that they know the local hangouts where there are ALWAYS parties going on. Kids don’t case things out to find out when anyone is going to be on duty and arrange their parties around that. I also know of a party that someone called the state police about and arrests were made. The call was made the night the party was happening on.
The thing is, they have the grant money to do this. They know where parties are going on and yet they do nothing. If the state police can come on a moments notice, then the sheriff’s dept can plan do break up a party. Like I said, they go on in my area ALL THE TIME. Tax payers money at work……I think not!
You have it 100% correct patom1. The only part you didnt mention was the fact that the state is more concerned about catching the working man make a mistake than they are with the people out there who intentionally are breaking the law and providing. Very seldom do they go after these folks, just the guy that’s trying to make a living and makes a mistake in a “set-up” situation.
My aunt had gray hair at 18. That is why you card everyone!
You are correct, it is too bad to hassle old people. However when underage kids get drunk sometimes they run into old people and kill them. When 13 businesses are in violation, something different needs to be done.
carding people is not just about age, it is about liability. i have not lived in maine for a few years, but in most places, it is the law that you have to ask for id. i have worked the door at bars for years, and you can get fined or shut down for not asking for an id, regardless of age, because that customer may have another reason for not being able to purchase alcohol, like being on parole / probation, illegal or expired id. unfortunately, in this day and age, we have to be able to prove we are who we say we are. how am i to know that kind looking gentleman in his 60’s might have one of these infractions that says he shouldn’t be drinking? if i sell him alcohol without at least checking to make sure he is at least carrying his id like we all are supposed to, and he gets in an accident or fight or what have you, that burden comes back on me for not covering all my bases. i have since gotten fed up with the bar business and pursued other ventures partially because of grown adults acting like children and throwing a tantrum because they don’t know the law. it is not worth the awful pay, whether in a convenience store, or a bar. like it has been stated before in these comments, you get what you pay for, i wouldn’t take a minimum wage counter jockey position that seriously either, it ain’t worth it.
Why aren’t the names of the establishments which failed exposed? It would give parents a heads-up.
I agree, if you are going to tell the story, tell the story. There is no problem publishing the names of people who do something wrong, why AREN’T the business names here?
Because…… the kids are going to tell mom and dad they plan on drinking and want to make sure they know which store they buy their liquor from?
I would like the names too! It is a disgrace!!!
Thanks Baldacci for getting rid of the Bureau of Liquor Enforcement. Too many visits to your family’s restaurant? At least there was some deterence not knowing if they (Liquor Enforcement) were watching your store. Road officers are too busy with other incidents to pick up the slack. It’ll only get worse as time goes on.
So they can plaster individuals names all over the paper before a trial, but not a business name…
Responsible beverage training should be mandatory for all person’s selling, serving or in any way dealing with alcohol. A business should take the responsibility to see the employees of the establishment have this training upon hire. After the proper training, if they so choose to sell liquor to minors, it would fall directly upon the business and the individual who did the selling, as it should and does. A minor gets irate when asked to produce the proper indentification and the older patrons are flattered when asked. Train your employees or have them trained. If it saves a life, it was all worth the effort.
Asking people for ID doesn’t require training. Many just let it go, while others aren’t comfortable with confrontation so they let a questionable person drink. That accounts for much more of this then people realize.
I agree the business names should be published. Every week there are articles with names of people that have been arrested and not convicted listed BDN news articles. This is the second time Aroostook county failed these inspections and just like the first time no names published. Let us know who they are!!!
Why are not the businesses listed, they should be they do in Bangor, but not aroostook county, can we get a follow up on this story, Bdn
Remember the days of the state liquor store? Open til 5? Sponge Bob forbid they settle for Thunderchicken at the local corner store.
If you have a business in the county you have to sell to any one that walks through the door or lose a sale. That is called survival in the county.
Give us the whole story or forget it, who are you talking about????