Businesses Cited for Selling Alcohol to Teens

Glendora Police launched an alcohol sting on 23 businesses last week and found several stores still sold alcohol to underage customers, even though the businesses were warned ahead of time of the pending sting.

Glendora Police along with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control led teams on the decoy operation with two 19-year-old police cadets serving as undercover underage decoys. The teams visited 23 locations in Glendora Thursday evening. Four of the locations were cited for selling alcohol to the decoys – on Arrow Highway, Market on Grand and Foothill, at Route 66 and Pasadena and at 400 E. Route 66.

According to police, prior to the sting, all 23 businesses received letters reminding them of current state and city liquor laws, which prohibit the sale of alcohol to customers under 21 years old. The businesses were also warned of a future alcohol sting at their location.

The penalty for selling alcohol to underage customers can be expensive fines and license suspensions or revocations.

The other businesses will receive a letter informing them that a minor decoy operation had been conducted at their business and no alcohol was sold to underage customers at the time.

Glendora Police regularly hosts alcohol stings to help prevent the sale of alcohol to minors, although it remains a common problem in the city, said Captain Tim Staab.

“Underage drinking remains a large problem in Glendora,” said Staab. “There are still too many DUI arrests and DUI collisions involving drivers under the age of 21.” 

Statistics show In June, Auto Club spokeswoman Alice Bisno said the four days around July 4 are among the most fatal for teens. The fatality rate for a 16- or 17-year-old driver rises 44 percent when there is another person younger than 21 in the vehicle, she said.

- City News Service contributed to this report