19 charged during drinking crackdown at SPAC
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A statewide underage drinking crackdown led to the arrest of 19 people at Saratoga Performing Arts Center concerts this summer, according to state officials.
The initiative was conducted by the state Liquor Authority and state Department of Motor Vehicles during August, September, and October.
DMV investigators said they charged people under age 21 for attempting to use false identification to purchase alcohol.
At SPAC, officials said nine people were charged during the Luke Bryan concert, two more during the Kid Rock concert with Brantley Gilbert, followed by another eight at the Zac Brown concert.
“Underage drinking can lead to bad decisions and dangerous situations that can have lifelong consequences or needless tragedy,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. “Through on-going enforcement efforts, we will continue to crack down on this dangerous behavior and target businesses that break the law by selling to minors and underage adults.”
Statewide, officials said fake identifications seized during the crackdown were from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Maryland, Delaware, California, Ohio, Illinois, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Florida.
Officials said the crackdown is part of Operation Prevent, a DMV initiative conducted all year long that targets not only bars and drinking establishments but concerts, events, and other underage hot spots. During an Operation Prevent sting, DMV investigators work with the state Liquor Authority and law enforcement to check identification documents. Patrons found to be using fake IDs can be arrested and have their license revoked for a minimum of 90 days or up to one year.
Terri Egan, DMV executive deputy commissioner and acting chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, said, “If you acquire a fake identification, it doesn’t matter what state it appears to be from. Our investigators will quickly be able to spot the fraud, and you will be arrested. We want our young people who are not yet 21 to celebrate responsibly. They shouldn’t try to buy alcohol. And if they try to use a fake
ID or someone else’s ID to purchase alcohol they need to be aware that it’s a crime we take seriously.”
In a related effort, also part of the underage crackdown, the state Liquor Authority sent underage decoys to 506 businesses that hold liquor licenses, citing 141 of them for illegal sales to minors.
Officials said the establishments included restaurants, bars, grocery stores, convenience stores, and liquor stores.
In Saratoga County, officials said the only business cited was Halfmoon Sunoco, 325 Route 146 in Clifton Park.
The operation was also conducted at nearly a dozen other stores in Clifton Park, Halfmoon, and Mechanicville, which did not sell alcohol to underage decoys.
During the investigations, Liquor Authority investigators entered the licensed premises separately from undercover minors to observe and verify when illegal transactions occurred.
Licensees charged with underage sales face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, with fines starting from $2,500 to $3,000 for a first-time offense. Repeat offenders also face potential suspension or revocation of their licenses.
Liquor Authority Chairman Vincent G. Bradley said, “Preventing the sale of alcohol to minors remains a priority for the SLA. These large-scale enforcement efforts with our partners at the DMV and local law enforcement will continue to be part of our proactive measures to prevent alcohol abuse among our youth.”