Beloit police actually used a great sting on bars in the early 90's. I was bouncing at a bar, and a guy who graduated with my brother came in. I carded him, and he had a valid fake ID. 10 minutes later his brother came in, his twin brother. He gave me an ID that said he was under age. I politely told him to leave, and called the police about a person with a fake ID. Within seconds, the police walked in, and explained that that was the right way to handle that situation. How many people are actually going to card a persons twin after the other one gave a valid ID.
How wrong is this situation, or shall I say entrapment play?

Glad to see a big fan SNL doing a standup bit here. Seriously!

I remember back in the early 1980's, I don't even THINK there WERE any punishments for these things. I remember buying cigarettes, my father caught me, and drove me right back to the gas station I purchased them from. He marched me right in there and asked the clerk how they could sell a child cigarettes.

Wow...I can't believe that people actually think the Sheriff's Dept would send kids into places of business to buy alcohol...and lie about their age. First of all, before you make such a comment get the facts first. These subjects are over 18 and instructed NOT to lie about their age or their birthdate if they are asked. IF they do its entrapment and it would taint the whole transaction and negate enforcement action.

MLCole53545: the proper terminology is 'eviler of two evils' :)

A $438 ticket for selling alchohol to minors!?!? Thats it?! 2 years ago my boyfriend got a ticket in they same type of sting only they were aiming for cigarettes. Selling tobacco to minors is a $763 ticket!! Wow shows you where our states priorities are!! That is just pathetic!

generalizations are not appropriate when no evidence is offered to support them. the police are legal in doing their job in an undercover manner. liquor sales clerks that cannot understnd the reasoning for the "21" law will have it explained to them by a judge.

789456
Why is it not illegal for the cops to send people in for these stings and telling them to lie about their age? I thought it was as much of a crime to try to purchase this stuff while
underage as it is to sell it. The police are telling them to lie. Which is not right.
------------------------------------------------Most Police will cheat /steal / do anything
to get what they want and most have a problem with Alcohol .

I can't believe that there are people who are seriously upset that the police have someone underage trying to buy alcohol, under police supervision. Seriously? I mean, SERIOUSLY??? You're seriously upset about this? How else are the cops supposed to see if alcohol selling establishments are doing what they are LEGALLY supposed to do, which is IDing people buying alcohol.
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For anyone trying to say that the police are asking these under-agers to lie, just, what the heck is going through your mind? Trying to buy alcohol isn't lying, it's just trying to get away with something that's illegal. That isn't lying.
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Some people are never happy.
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Seriously, don't get your undies in a bundle and instead maybe you should be glad that the police department is doing what they can to prevent someone underage from being able to purchase alcohol.
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Sure, that underage person will likely be able to find someone old enough to buy it, and there's no stopping that, but at least you can't fault the clerk for selling alcohol to a legal aged individual.

Too bad this country will never let go of its alcohol hang ups. Apparently 18 is old enough to die in a war but too young to drink a beer. The US is the only industrialized nation with a 21yr old drinking age. If you removed the forbidden fruit appeal that alcohol has to young people mabye we wouldnt have the problems of binge drinking and drunken driving.

What truly cracks me up is that stores will card harder for tobacco than booze or beer. I am not saying to let kids do either, but to me the alcohol is the greater of the two evils. Cause come on when was the last time we heard of a 17 year old smoking a pack of Camels and killing a family while driving?!?!If it is a choice between the two all I have to say is here is my Zippo.

Let's clear something up for the ignorant people who think the cops are "morally reprehensible," not out "nabbing drunk drivers," "in serious need of cash," etc.

First, the county has had extra patrol for attempting to "nab" drunk drivers for the last several weekends. They can only do so much with the limited staff they have.

Second, as far as the alcohol compliance checks go, the underage kids who participated were volunteers and went through an extensive screening process. People with criminal or traffic records were excluded from participating. A single speeding ticket on a participant's record excluded them from the process.

Third, all participants were aged 18-20 years and they carried nothing with them but cell phones and the money they were to use to buy the alcohol. If a bartender or clerk asked them for ID they told him/her they did not have one and walked out. If they were asked if they were 21 they said no and walked out. At no time did the participants lie about their age, nor did anyone cited claim they did.

The Individual Gets the fine the buisness also gets 1 if its a repeat offence

Where have some of you people been for the past 30 years or so? Police have been doing these "buy attempts" at least since I was a high schooler back in the middle 1970s. I don't see anything wrong with them. In fact, in Dane County, the teen-agers working the task are hired from the general public. They apply with the county just like any other jobseeker. As far as stopping drunken drivers, that is one of the program's goals. Where do underage drinkers do their crime? In cars! Hello?! Doesn't anyone posting remember his/her own past? As far as parents providing alcohol to their underage drinkers to suck up at home, that should be a crime in my opinion.

It is wrong to sell alcohol to minors OR underagers so what does it matter how old they were. And everyone's saying that the police are wrong for having minors going into do it. But how else are they suppose to find out. And for everyone saying that parent's who buy alcohol for there kids is wrong. I honestly think differently because I would rather have my kids drink at home incase something happens then at some party and have them overdose on it. I wouldn't want to be the last to know. I think that the police should be cracking down. I'm 18 yrs old and have seen to many UNDERAGE people go in and buy alcohol and something bad happens SO KEEP IT UP!!

The title says "minor" but the story says "underage". Does the gazette have the actual age of the 'mole'?

WHY DOES EVERYONE THINK "KIDS" WERE USED? I assume you mean a "minor" by using the word "kid"? It states an underager was used...could have been a 20 year old which means he could have legally been employed by the police to do this work.

789456, just like it's not illegal for a cop to purchase drugs during an undercover bust. I think it's a great thing cops are cracking down on selling alcohol to underagers.

Why is it not illegal for the cops to send people in for these stings and telling them to lie about their age? I thought it was as much of a crime to try to purchase this stuff while
underage as it is to sell it. The police are telling them to lie. Which is not right.

For those who think "the cops are out of line", & or "The fines too stiff"... you obviously either don't have kids, have perfect kids, have never seen a teenager go through detox, never watched a 21 year old die of liver failure due to severe alcohol abuse (it happens).. or.. your one of those adults that buy liquor & give it to your minors. Your what i call "the cause & effect" of being an irresponsible parent, uncle, of legal age brother, sister... the list goes on.. So (IMO) your opinions are mute because you could care less about children..

What better way to deter businesses from being lax than catching them in the act and fining them. Looks like their employees need to go back for a refresher. If the police didn't have these compliance operations, you'd all complain they weren't doing enough to curb under-age purchase and consumption of alcohol.

Normally these 'kids' are doing community service or rehab. I know the kids that do the cigarette 'stings' are in juvey and doing their community service. If a store sells to minors too many times then the store gets fined, if they continue to then they will get shut down. I think its a great service. Get it at the source then it helps the underage drinkers be less tempted. I know there are some liquor stores that won't sell you liquor if you have a minor with you. Your child or not.

localboysince1968- For crying out loud, the very first sentence in the article CLEARLY indicates the intent- "alcohol-compliance check", not BEER RUN! Stop being a sausage.

No intent? Their intent was to buy alcohol and get away with it (under supervision). If that isn't intent, I don't know what is. "Sorry officer, I was speeding down Milton Ave., to see if you would pull me over."

And to you 'snuba'.....the cops are always going after drunk drivers also, why do you feel they can't do both?!

Sannio.......get real! Do you think you have a valid point? No, you don't. This is simply a viable process used by the police and these indivduals are over 18 anyway. And there is no "crime" here as there is no intent and it is a predetermined process.

If they're too young to drink, the sheriff's department shouldn't be asking them to commit a crime.

Who said they were "kids"?

18 = Adult

Good to know where I can get my alcohol.

Using kids like that in a sting is morally reprehensible. What's next? Telling kid to go buy heroin?

I wouldn't say this is what the cops are resorting to. I have a friend who used to work at a gas station. They didn't sell alcohol as far as I know, but they did sell cigarettes. I can remember her telling me a story about a kid trying to buy cigarettes and when she asked for ID, the kid showed one, but he wasn't even old enough. She then flipped out on him for even trying to buy cigarettes when he *knew* he wasn't old enough. It turned out this kid worked for the JPD and was doing something similar as the kids in this article. This story was told to me at least two years ago.

How about going on the road and nabbing drunk drivers instead??

The cops must be in serious need of cash if this is what they are resorting to........

Off to bed for me i think a truck hit me .

I can't remember if they send the employee back too school or not .

The fine isn't high enough. And while the store is responsible for who they hire; the store didn't sell the booze to the kids, the clerk did. What the store does to punish the employee if anything is the question.

Sarah i don't no .

Do the businesses get fined also?

I would like Rock County go to a finger print ID .