12 Stores Fail Alcohol Sale Sting

SEBRING - A countywide underage alcohol sale sting operation conducted this weekend showed that of 38 businesses checked, 26 did not sell alcohol to minors, said Highlands County Sheriff Susan Benton in a press release Tuesday.

An underage operative was used to enter the businesses and try to buy alcohol. Most didn't take the bait.

"We congratulate these companies and their staffs for helping us work toward the vision of a 'Safer Highlands County' supporting our youth by reducing the availability of alcohol," she added.

Investigators have submitted affidavits to the state attorney's office on charges of sale of alcohol to underage persons on the 12 employees who reportedly sold to the minors. Each could potentially face a second-degree misdemeanor charge.

The mission of the Highlands County Community Coalition Against Substance Abuse, is to organize, inform, educate, and unite our community in its efforts to reduce substance abuse, Benton wrote.

"They are currently working to identify the community norms that increase a young person's access and use of alcohol," she said.

"We will continue to monitor youth access to alcohol from commercial businesses and other means and hope to list all stores for compliance with the law on the sale of alcohol to minors; 70 percent in compliance is a good start."

Ruffled Feathers

Reaction to the undercover operation conducted within the three municipalities, Avon Park, Sebring, and Lake Placid, was mixed.

With feathers still a bit ruffled with an Avon Park Police detective removed from the sheriff's drug task force, Police Cmdr. Mike Rowan was taken by surprise that the operation took place without his department being notified.

"We should be working together as a team to achieve the same objectives," Rowan said Tuesday night. "There is no 'I' in team. Things being worked inside the jurisdiction of Avon Park, I would at least expect the common courtesy of being notified of an operation by an agency from outside the city.

"What if we were working on something at the same time their operation was working? It could have led to other problems. I certainly encourage working together and I appreciate their enthusiasm and their effort, but it's equally important to notify the other jurisdictions or other agencies to keep them informed of what they are doing."

Sebring Police Cmdr. Steve Carr said Thursday the city of Sebring Police Department was also not notified by the sheriff's office.

"And they typically don't," Carr said. "If we did have an issue with the sheriff's office, we would discuss it directly with them, and not in the newspapers."

Lake Placid Police Chief Phil Williams said Thursday when it comes to law enforcement operating within the town, "the more the merrier."

"My attitude is anyone one that is lawfully able to do law enforcement within the town limits I encourage to do so," Williams said. "It would have been nice to have been notified, but I'm not miffed about it."

Williams credited the Highlands County Sheriff's Office's substation and the Lake Placid Police Department's combined presence for the town's low crime rate.

Sheriff's Capt. Randy LaBelle said Thursday that it wasn't something they pre-planned to go into the cities, it just worked out that way. However, he did point out that the sheriff's office has countywide jurisdiction.

"We didn't intend to go into the cities, at least we didn't know ahead of time," he said. "It was more of a sporadic attempt, here and there. But it was never ruled out either.

"We fully support the efforts and initiative taken by Lt. Jim McGann and the tactical unit."

LaBelle classified the alcohol enforcement effort as very successful.

For more information on the Community Coalitions in our state, check:

http://www.fadaa.org/services/resource_center/coalitions/about/index.asp .

Most Local Stores Complied With Alcohol Sales Laws
Stores in compliance with a Highlands County Sheriff Office alcohol sale to minors enforcement effort were:

Hess Mart, 590 U.S. 27 N., Avon Park; Food Mart 983 U.S. 27 N., Avon Park; Circle K, 7196 U.S. 27 S., Sebring; Stop N' Shop, 901 U.S. 27 N., Avon Park; Sunny Seven Days, 107 U.S. 27 N., Avon Park; Albertson's Express, 3650 U.S. 27 N., Sebring; Race Trac, 1625 U.S. 27 N., Avon Park; AN Food Store, 200 W. Main St., Avon Park.

Also checked were Stop and Shop, 1310 Allamanda Blvd., Avon Park; Shell Gas Station, 6229 U.S. 27 N., Sebring; BP Gas Station, 3901 U.S. 27 N., Sebring; Shell Gas Station, 3323 U.S. 27 N., Sebring; Shell Gas Station, 1035 U.S. 27, Sebring; Citgo Stop N' Shop, 1409 U.S. 27 S., Sebring; Citgo Stop N' Shop, 8000 U.S. 27 N., Sebring; Gate Gas Station, 134 U.S. 27 N., Lake Placid.

Also checked were Circle K, 2742 U.S. 27 S., Lake Placid; Shell station, 2758 US 27 S., Lake Placid; Gate, 300 U.S. 27 N., Sebring; Raceway, 5100 U.S. 27 S., Sebring; Circle K, 3030 U.S. 27 S., Avon Park; USA Groceries, 244 County Road 621, Lake Placid; Farm Stores, 2758 U.S. 27 S., Lake Placid; Farm Store 401 U.S. 27 S., Lake Placid; Citgo USA Grocers, Lake June Road, Lake Placid; L&M Food Store, 1411 Roseland Ave., Sebring.

Stores with clerks not in compliance were:

Texaco Food Mart, 400 Main St., Avon Park; Circle K, 999 U.S. 27 N., Avon Park; The Village Lounge, 205 West Main St., Avon Park; Food Mart, 4 U.S. 27 N., Avon Park; J & R Food Store, 709 U.S. 27 N, Avon Park; BP Gas Station, 501 U.S. 27 N., Avon Park.

Also cited were Circle K Store, 3100 Jacklin Ave., Sebring; Mobil Mart, 3303 Kenilworth Blvd., Sebring; Food Mart, 629 N. Ridgewood Drive, Sebring; Lupita Store, 269 Highlands Blvd., Lake Placid; Island Food Store, 1994 Placid Lakes Blvd., Lake Placid; Circle K, 2724 U.S. 27 S., Lake Placid.