Ferndale Police Conduct Alcohol, Cigarette Stings

Ferndale Police recently conducted a series of compliance checks to ensure local stores are not selling alcohol or tobacco to under-aged buyers.

The "sting" operations are part of an ongoing effort with the Southeast Oakland County Coalition and are done on a continual basis, Ferndale Police Lt. William Wilson wrote in a news release on Wednesday.

"Considering the number of establishments that sell alcohol or tobacco, investigations have demonstrated that there [are] relatively few violations," Wilson wrote. "However, the police department plans to continue to use investigations and enforcement action to achieve an ongoing compliance rate of 100 percent."

Tobacco

The most recent tobacco compliance inspections were done on Jan. 11 and involved a 17-year-old volunteer from the Southeast Oakland County Coalition.

Of the 26 stores that were inspected, one failed the test by selling cigarettes to the teen. The clerk was issued a ticket and the store - Morgante's Party Store on Nine Mile Road - could face penalties from the Liquor Control Commission because it also sells alcohol, according to the release.

The following stores refused to sell cigarettes to the teen:

    •    Rite Aid, 22346 Woodward
    •    7-11, 805 E Nine Mile
    •    Vega Market, 2800 Hilton
    •    9 and Hilton Market, 823 E. Nine Mile
    •    Stop and Go Deli, 1365 E. Nine Mile
    •    BP Gas, 1710 Hilton
    •    CVS, 539 E. Nine Mile
    •    Heights Food Center, 510 Woodward Heights
    •    Marathon, 3371 Hilton
    •    Paradise Liquor, 3237 Hilton
    •    Get and Go Market, 3366 Hilton
    •    State Fair Market, 726 Hilton
    •    Mobil Gas, 561 E. Eight Mile
    •    Shell Gas, 1200 W. Eight Mile
    •    Gitgo Gas, 140 Pinecrest
    •    Gitgo Gas, 1351 W. Nine Mile
    •    Ardmore Party Store, 1318 W. Nine Mile
    •    7-11, 1040 W. Nine Mile
    •    CVS, 900 W. Nine Mile
    •    Joes Party Store, 733 W. Nine Mile
    •    Kens Market, 504 Livernois,
    •    Mobil Gas, 22500 Woodward
    •    One Stop, 22008 Woodward
    •    Rainbow Party Store, 23329 Woodward
    •    Wild Bills Tobacco, 270 W. Nine Mile

Alcohol

Ferndale Police have also worked with the Southeast Oakland County Coalition several times over the past few years on decoy operations to check whether stores would sell alcohol to a minor.

According to Wilson, all stores except the following have passed the tests by refusing to sell to a minor:

• Ferndale One Stop at 22008 Woodward failed the sting operations by selling beer to a minor on July 28, 2011. The clerk was issued a citation and the matter was turned over to the LCC for administrative action.

• Heights Food Center at 510 Woodward Heights failed a test on July 28, 2011 when a clerk there sold beer to a minor decoy. The clerk reportedly lied to the police about his identity and was eventually arrested for selling alcohol to a minor and providing false identity to the police, according to Wilson. The store had no history of violations and the owners appeared to be cooperative in the investigation, so the matter was not referred to the LCC. This store failed another sting operation on Aug. 8, 2012 when a clerk sold beer to a minor decoy. The clerk was issued a violation and the matter was referred to the LCC. A hearing is pending.

• Ferndale Foods at 600 W. 9 Mile was visited by a police decoy on Aug. 8, 2012 and a clerk sold beer to the minor. The clerk was issued a citation for making the sale. The store has a history of refusing sales to minors and the owners make efforts to assure such sales are averted, according to the release. The owners cooperated with the police and made efforts to assure future incidents would be avoided, so the matter was not referred to the LCC.

• CVS at 900 W. 9 Mile had a clerk sell beer to a minor decoy on Aug. 8, 2012. The clerk was issued a citation for furnishing alcohol to a minor. The matter has been referred to the LCC and a future hearing is pending.

Report illegal sales

Anyone who has knowledge of illegal sales of alcohol or tobacco to minors by merchants in Ferndale is asked to notify the Ferndale Police Department.

The Michigan Liquor Control Commission offers this website, where people can check whether local stores have a history of violations.