APD CADETS GO UNDERCOVER TO CHECK IF BUSINESSES ARE CARDING FOR ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO PURCHASES
Aurora Police Department’s Cadets went undercover last week with Investigators from our Special Operations Group to make sure Aurora businesses, that sell alcohol and tobacco products, are “carding” customers who appear to be underage.
APD’s cadets, who are all under the age of 21, went into 11 different businesses and attempted to purchase alcohol or tobacco. In all, nine of the businesses “carded” the cadets and were complying with the City of Aurora’s ordinances that required carding to anyone that prohibit the sale of alcohol or tobacco to minors.
The following businesses were in compliance and carded APD’s cadets:
Dr Lungzzz, 245 South Lake Street
Northgate Wines & Liquors, 874 North Lake Street
Randall Liquors, 1660 North Randall Road
Papa Jay’s Smoke Shop, 1147 East New York Street
La Villita Liquors, 1415 East New York Street
Liquor Lane, 2178 Ogden Avenue
Tobacco & Vape, 2174 Ogden Avenue
GreenSmoke Vape & Tobacco, 444 North Eola Road
Smokes R Us, 3150 North Aurora Road, Unit F
Two businesses did not “card” the cadets and let them purchase alcohol or tobacco:
Shell, located at 407 South Lake Street, sold grape flavored Swisher Sweets cigarillos to one of the cadets without checking for identification. After completing the sale, SOG Investigators entered the store and issued the clerk a notice to appear for the unlawful sale of a tobacco product to a person under 21 years of age (Aurora Ordinance 13-10a).
Royal Food & Liquor, located at 335 East Indian Trail, sold a can of Modelo Negra (alcoholic product) to the cadet without checking for identification. After completing the sale, SOG Investigators entered the store and issued the clerk a notice to appear for the unlawful sale of an alcoholic product to a person under 21 years of age (Aurora Ordinance 6-29a).
“The Aurora Police Department takes the sale of alcohol and tobacco to our youth seriously,” Aurora Police Special Operations Group Lieutenant Greg Spayth said. “It takes only a moment for a store clerk to check someone’s identification and make sure they are of the age to purchase alcohol or tobacco. Operations like this allow us to make sure our local businesses are doing their duty to make sure they are complying with state and local laws.”
The Aurora Municipal Code which covers the prohibition against sale of alcohol and tobacco to minors can be found here: Municipal Code.