Craig Daily Press

Craig — In the wake of an alcohol-related investigation this month, area business owners voiced their views on compliance check operations.

On Thursday, the Craig Police Department released the names of businesses that passed and failed compliance checks it conducted earlier this month. The operation was intended to ascertain if local businesses were following state law prohibiting alcohol sales to individuals under 21 years old, Capt. Jerry DeLong said.

The Police Department checked 22 businesses, he said, adding that additional establishments they intended to investigate were closed at the time of the operation.

The department’s list included 23 establishments. Police authorities were unavailable to comment on the discrepancy.

The department withheld the results until it could give notice to all businesses that failed the compliance check, Craig Police Detective Ken Johnson said.

An adult volunteer, between the ages of 18 and 21, helped conduct the operation by entering local establishments and attempting to purchase alcohol with an underage ID.

Grand Futures, a substance abuse prevention program involved in the compliance checks, sent letters to establishments selling alcohol on Jan. 3, informing them of the upcoming investigation.

The detective said compliance checks were designed to help alcohol retailers prevent sales to underage purchasers.

“I think it’s total entrapment,” said Clyde Hettinger, Dark Horse Discount Liquors owner. “How can they send a kid to do something illegal?” he said.

Using underage volunteers for compliance check doesn’t run contrary to the law, Johnson said.

Hettinger’s liquor store was among the local businesses that passed the compliance check.

“We take it very seriously,” he said.

He reiterates to his employees the importance of the checking identification who “don’t have as much gray hair as I do,” he said.

Yet, other factors come into play when identifying underage drinkers, said Diana Knez, a bartender at The O.P. Bar & Grill.

Another bartender carded the Police Department’s underage informant, but the employee misread the individual’s date of birth,” she said.

“I think that if they are so concerned about underage drinking, they should put (ID birth dates) … in big print,” she added. “Some of them are really hard to see.”

Beryl Dschaak, Thunder Rolls Bowling Center co-owner, agreed.

Most identification cards are difficult to read, “Especially when (the business) is really busy,” she said.

The bowling center was one of 10 businesses that failed the compliance test. A bowling center employee asked for the underage informant’s ID card but failed to read it correctly, she said.

Despite not passing, Dschaak said she thought the operation was conducted fairly.

“I’m for it 100 percent,” she said.