COMMENTARY-- Underage Drinking

Last Friday, the Round Lake Police Department completed another Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement operation in conjunction with the Illinois State Police. This operation was organized as part of the Lake County Chiefs Association Underage Drinking Committee, which Chief Metaxa is a member.

The results of last nights operation were slightly better than last time. We had four of twelve establishments sell liquor to the minor. That is better than the six of eleven a few months ago. The four establishments that sold liquor to the minor were the Tool Shed, Round Lake Liquors, El Ranchero restaurant, and Community Food and Liquors.

This is the third time that the Tool Shed has been cited for selling liquor to a minor as a result of these types of operations. I have scheduled a liquor control commission hearing for Monday, March 19, 2007 at 6:30 pm at the village hall. In the meantime, the liquor license for the Tool Shed has been suspended until the hearing. The Tool Shed continues to sell alcohol to minors and is a danger to public safety.

Channel 7 (ABC) rode along with the officers who conducted the ACE operation last Friday in Round Lake and interviewed Mundelien's Chief Raymond Rose (the Committee spokesperson) this morning. Here is a link to a story done by ABC.

The Chief's Underage Drinking Committee has focused their efforts in four areas: enforcement, education, legislation and membership. They meet monthly to discuss specific topics within these areas to ultimately achieve our goal of reducing the underage drinking in Lake County.

They will continue to conduct these types of operations in the future, but will also be focusing on education. Chief Metaxa is organizing a pre-prom presentation at the high school with the fire department and the Coroner's office.

I am going to bring in all of the liquor licensees and providing them with education and a discussion about our expectations at some point quickly.

The disappointment I get from this is enormous. Since Four Coynes is appealing my revocation of its liquor license with the Illinois Liquor Commission and is free to be open until such time as the board ratifies my decision. I have been sending officers into every bar in Round Lake every night, so its no surprise there were no violations in any of those 5 bars. I am not picking on any one bar, just being hyper-vigilant to all.

Yet in the other 7 places that sell that we checked, 4 failed. My summit with the various license holders hopefully will help them wise up, I suspect the individual liquor hearing will assist with there focus as well!