MONROE, N.C. — Only Channel 9 was there as Monroe Police Officers put stores and restaurants to the test. The Monroe Police Department asked teens to go undercover to see if they could buy alcohol from several businesses.
Lt. Justin Crump and Detective Cody Eiss are part of a new ABC Unit with the Monroe Police Department. Lt. Crump said the ABC Unit was created because of Monroe’s growing number of businesses and the need for more oversight. There are four officers on the unit now, after Detective Eiss used to do the work himself.
“We have more eyes and more manpower to be able to look for those violations … and we’re trying to be proactive about,” said Lt. Crump.
Their goal wasn’t to trick any businesses. The 17-year-olds used their own IDs and were told not to lie about their ages.
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t take just 10 seconds to check and ID and verify age,” said Lt. Crump.
Police allowed Channel 9 to see the operation over two days.
DAY 1: Convenience stores
In March, officers say a 17-year-old girl was able to buy Mike’s Harder Lemonade from Beni Mart on Walkup Avenue. Officers heard over the radio, “No ID check.” They said the clerk was distracted.
“She was on the phone when you were trying to buy the alcohol … or when you did?” asked Channel 9’s Gina Esposito.
Lt. Crump and Detective Eiss entered the store to give the clerk a citation and an order to appear in court. “You are not going to jail. OK. This is just a citation.”
Officers also reported the business to the North Carolina ABC Commission, which will determine the penalty. That can be anything from a warning to a fine or even a permit suspension.
The 17-year-old girl also bought alcohol from Claws on Charlotte Avenue and Icemorlee Food Store on Iceman Street. Esposito asked the teen, “He didn’t ask for your ID?”
She responded, “He didn’t ask for the ID.”
Officers once again cited the clerks, gave the businesses a violation, and bagged the evidence.
“It’s a lot more serious than people realized,” said Lt. Crump.
Detective Eiss used to do these undercover buys on his own.
“I don’t know what the deal is this go around. We checked almost 65 locations in August. We got five to six sales. Here we are, almost three hours in, and we’ve got one, two, three.”
Detective Eiss said Low Price Grocery on Concord Avenue had sold alcohol to minors three times in the past 10 years. The business did it again. Lt. Crump said the clerk realized his mistake after the sale and ran out of the store.
“After he rang her up. He didn’t recognize her as a regular. He had an ‘Oh crap moment’ and ran out of the store to catch her. At that point, the deal was done.” Lt. Crump had said earlier. “That’s why we teach. It’s very good practice. ID, ID, ID.”
At Market Express on Roosevelt Boulevard, there was more disappointment. Lt. Crump reacted when he saw the teen walk out of the store with alcohol.
“Ahh, dang. That surprises me,” he said.
Lt. Crump said the clerk used an ID system that should’ve put a ‘C’ on the screen because she’s underage.
“They scanned it?” he asked the teen. “They scanned it, and they still made the sale.”
Lt. Crump said he was surprised by how many businesses, five out of 12, failed this test. He says more education is needed, but their enforcement will continue. He said their goal is to prevent tragedies that can result from underage drinking.
Esposito said, “Makes the point now as to why you are needed.”
Lt. Crump and Detective Eiss responded, “Correct. Right.”
Day 2: Restaurants
Monroe Police Department’s ABC enlisted the help of another 17-year-old girl to check if restaurants were following all the rules and checking IDs.
The first stop was Franklin Court Grille in downtown Monroe. Channel 9 photojournalist Michael Winn sat at a table with the teen and an undercover officer.
The teen ordered a White Claw.
The waitress was heard saying, “Do you want mango or blackberry?”
The teen responded, “Mango”.
The waitress then asked for the teen’s ID and walked away.
Lt. Crump said, “Did she ask for it?”
Detective Eiss said, “I think. I hope.”
Fortunately, the waitress returned.
“I’m sorry, I think I did my math wrong. Can I see your ID one more time, please?” the waitress said.
The waitress looked at the ID and said, “I can’t give you a White Claw.”
Franklin Court Grille passed. Unfortunately, that was the one success of the day. The rest of Channel 9’s restaurant visits did not go, as well.
At Buffalo Wild Wings, the teen ordered.
“Can I get the Boozy Dunkin’ Cold Brew? Thank you,” the teen said.
Esposito watched from another table as the waitress placed the alcoholic drink in front of the teen.
Lt. Crump and Detective Eiss later reported Buffalo Wild Wings to the ABC Commission, then cited the waitress, who was in tears.
Detective Eiss gave her a court date and explained why she should be asking customers for their ID.
“The last thing we want is an underage person in real life come in here, get drunk, and get into a car wreck,” he said.
At Longhorn Steakhouse, officers said the teen was served again with no ID check.
Officers cited the server and reported the business to the ABC Commission. The manager was on the phone and seemed concerned.
At Tavern 74, the teen ordered a Bud Light, and the bartender served her. However, officers said management quickly realized her mistake. The bartender returned to ask for the teen’s ID. The teen later told officers what happened.
“She’s, like, you know you’re underage, right? But she’s like, I don’t want to embarrass you, so just slide your beer forward, but here’s your ID,” the teen said.
Detective Eiss has been to Tavern 74 before. In September, a report said he investigated a bar fight with injuries. It resulted in several ABC violations, including serving alcohol to a 20-year-old. In November, the North Carolina ABC Commission ordered Tavern 74 to pay a $3,500 or face a 35-day permit suspension. A spokesperson said the business opted for the fine.
Detective Eiss was disappointed by what happened on this day.
The bartender explained to him, “I usually check. I’m really good about that.”
“The problem is you gave it to her,” said Detective Eiss.
At Logan’s Roadhouse, officers said the teen ordered a Bud Light. The bartender did ask for her ID, which showed she was underage.
While she was looking at the ID, the bartender said to the teen, “What the hell is this? Where are you from? Oh, wow, I haven’t seen an ID in a long time. Is this new? I need to get me one. This is bad ass.”
Detective Eiss and Lt. Crump were listening to the conversation from their vehicle.
“Oh no….” said Detective Eiss.
“That’s not good,” said Lt Crump. “It’s really surprising. She even checked the ID and made the sale, then completely told her how cool her ID looked.”
Officers issued a violation to the business and cited the bartender.
Lt. Crump says their ABC unit has a no-tolerance policy for this kind of thing and hopes their efforts serve as a wake-up call to all businesses in Monroe.
“It’s all about education, making sure people know what they can do, what they can’t do, which then leads to a safer environment,” he said.
Forty businesses were checked, 16 were given violations.
Training
The Monroe Police Department is hosting an alcohol server training to help bartenders, servers, managers, and anyone who sells or serves alcohol stay informed and compliant.
It will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Monday.
This free training will cover responsible alcohol service, identifying fake IDs, recognizing intoxication, and understanding legal responsibilities.
Seats are limited.