City, Police Implement Program to Fight Underage Drinking

unanimously voted Aug. 16 to amend the city’s alcohol beverage ordinance to allow privatized compliance checks in an effort to reduce the sale of alcohol to teens. 

Now, liquor license holders in the city—be they bars, restaurants or stores selling liquor—will work with the city to conduct internal compliance checks with their own employees. 

Law enforcement compliance checks will continue, however this added measure provides the business community an opportunity to be more actively involved in the process, said Chief David Linder. 

“I was impressed with the concern they had for it,” Linder said of the enthusiastic response by business owners to participate in the program. 

Police worked with several business representatives and McHenry County College to create a workable model for internal compliance checks. 

Participating retailers will be able to access the city’s In-House Controlled Purchase Program to evaluate their employees training. Through the program, retailers may have persons between 18 and 21 years of age attempt to purchase alcohol at their establishments. 

These individuals will be student volunteers from the criminal law division at McHenry County College, Linder said. Police will train them in their part of the program and they receive college credit for participating. 

Linder said the program is not designed to be punitive—employees who sell alcohol to underage patrons during a check will not lose their jobs or suffer retribution in any way from police, the city or the employer. Rather, those employees will be provided additional training at the police department. 

Linder found a little-known state statute that allows for this kind of program, and the Internal Measures to Prevent Alcohol Consumption in Teens was born. 

Linder said Mayor Aaron Shepley, who also serves as the city’s liquor commissioner, was the impetus for the program. Shepley approached Linder about a year ago seeking ways to further reduce the incidents of liquor sales to underage patrons in the city. 

Shepley said that the city’s retailers work hard to prevent underage alcohol sales, but felt more education would be a benefit to them. 

He said his least favorite job as commissioner is putting businesses out of business or causing monetary harm when they fail a compliance check. He wanted to find a way to empower and educate retailers so they could succeed. 

“What this program is meant to do is to be focused,” he said. “I fully support it.”