You don’t want to have a starring role in Operation Party Pooper, now showing in Stafford County, Va.
Act one on Wednesday night: A 17-year-old employee of the Virginia Alcohol Beverage Board whapped his money down on the counter in 11 liquor stores to see who would sell alcohol to someone underage. If the sale went through, deputies from the Special Problem Unit ran in and smacked the clerk with a summons.
So out of 11 stings, four stores got summons for the ABC violation: Taylor’s Grocery, Onville 7-Eleven, Onville Quick Mart and the Handi Mart on Warrenton Road.
Here’s the three part lineup of the “Party Pooper Campaign” to curtail underage drinking, just in time for prom and graduation season:
- Spy vs. Spy, wherein the Sheriff’s Department puts their collective ears to the ground and finds out where the parties are where teens are drinking alcohol.
- Getting the word out that this is an effort to prevent kids from drinking alcohol at parties in the first place.
- Arresting or giving out summons to underage drinkers and adults who serve alcohol or make it possible for kids to drink.
Patrols will go out in a caravan, showing up at parties looking for underage drinkers.
“We want to make sure that all of our young people have a wonderful prom and graduation experience and have an opportunity to have that special time in a safe, alcohol-free environment," Sheriff Charles Jett said. “We take this campaign very seriously and will be maximizing our efforts to ensure that any teenage parties or gatherings are alcohol-free.”
