Bar employees face arrest for selling to underage drinkers

Other underage laws remain

By: CAROLYN CRIST

Posted: 8/18/08

To attack demand, you have to go after supply, Athens-Clarke County Solicitor General Carroll Chisholm said he believes.

Chisholm mailed 300 letters to bar owners and liquor license holders that said employees will be arrested if caught selling alcohol to underage patrons.

"It's not really a new policy. A number of people think this is new," Chisholm said Sunday. "It's been a law that if you drink under the age of 21, it leads to your arrest. The person who provided alcohol would get a citation, but I asked [ACC Police Chief Joseph] Lumpkin if we could arrest the person who furnishes alcohol."

Chisholm said he hopes the policy, which will go into effect Sept. 1, will deter those who knowingly serve underage students.

"There's an expectation that if you come to Athens, you'll be served, and this includes not just University students but high school students from other counties," he said.

Those who are caught serving underage patrons will be given an arrest warrant and must turn themselves in to the ACC Jail within 24 hours.

"This is because Lumpkin and I discussed what to do if one person is running a convenient store and gets arrested. The police would be responsible for the store until it was closed safely, and police were concerned about manpower and liability," Chisholm said.

Of the 300 letters mailed, only six were returned with address issues. The addresses listed on Atlanta Highway were corrected and re-sent, Chisholm said.

"I went to a restaurant this weekend, and my letter was posted on the wall," he said. "I've received phone calls from business owners. I think the letters and policy are really getting around."

Some bar personnel said they didn't want to be "tricked," Chisholm said.

"These will be police investigations with underage operatives, real licenses and dates-of-birth clearly stating the customer is under 21," he said. "We're targeting those who knowingly furnish to underage customers. I can't proceed in a court case otherwise."

Although the supply side of underage drinking is being attacked, customers should not forget the consequences of underage drinking either, University Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said Sunday.

"The laws are still the same," he said. "The police department is doing different things downtown, and if you drink in moderation you shouldn't worry about being in contact with them."

Though rumors have circulated that police are targeting "girls in white dresses" or females undergoing the sorority recruitment process, Williamson said police don't target descriptions.

"I heard [the rumor] in a meeting this week, too, and my police department has made no such statement," he said. "The county spoke to Greek officials about noise ordinances, and I spoke to them about behavior and making decisions. We base arrests on actions, and it's always been that way."