Is this really what our police and community is worried about? They also did this at the 7/11 a few weeks ago . It says they're using "state grant" money, so what does that mean, hiring more officers or giving our police overtime and hiring the minors? It would be nice for our police chief to weigh in on this.
I'm not advocating underage drinking, but really? Is this is a priority in our town, the police arranging stings, rather than solving serious crimes like burglaries, domestic violence, assaults, rape, etc?
So the police entrapment sting was 1 for 29 and 1 for 22 at their last sting, making them a whopping 2 for 51 in stopping this insidious crime, which evidently occurs less than 4% of the time someone is asked to buy alcohol for a minor. And who are these "minors" they are recruiting to sting these adults? Are they paid? Are they "reserve" police officer's in training? I guess the lesson we learn from this exercise, is never trust the kids who are out in our town and out and about, they could be working undercover.
Great job, I think most of us know that the majority of underage drinking occurs when kids simply raid their parents liquor cabinet, oh that's right, now parents can be cited for that too. Wouldn't it make more sense to teach kids how to drink responsibly and that there are consequences to their actions, rather than turn the adults into criminals? Or at least if they do drink, provide a safe environment if it's going to happen anyways?
Would any of the police in our town swear under oath and/or take a lie detector test to prove that they never took one sip of alcohol until they were 21. How about our city council members? I would bet virtually every single one of them took a sip of alcohol, illegally, when they were a under 21. Does anyone remember college, when you were underage, but still adults, and probably had a few drinks. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before this sting tactic hits our medical dispensaries, if they haven't already.
I know drunk driving kills, education is the only answer, as well as providing a safe way for drunk kids and adults alike a way to get home without driving, so services like cabs, encouraging designated drivers and letting inebriated adults sleep in their cars if necessary without getting rousted by the police if that is called for.
And while I'm on the subject of our overworked yet "state grant funded" police department, I seem to find the police sitting in their cars a lot lately at speed traps all around town with their lights off at night and also during the day, by the Hopmonk on the left hand side of the street when it hits the 25 MPH sign, in the empty lot across from the MacDonalds, in the Foster Freeze parking lot, in the mortuary parking lot across from the Post Office, on McFarlane at Lynch Rd, on Huntley at High St., and on the various streets that cross Bodega from the Main Street to Pleasant Hill when it's also 25 MPH.
Again, I'm not advocating speeding, but it seems like our limited and shrinking tax dollars, the money we pay to our police force to keep us safe are used to get the "low hanging fruit crimes" and now through entrapment. How low have we sunk?
Perhaps it's time to start a movement to take over the City Council and elect a majority that actually reflects the consciousness and values of the city we live in, and then make appropriate changes for the department heads like the police chief if they continue with these tactics. It takes about 2000 to 1500 votes to elect City Council member these days. It would take a serious voter registration drive and convince the youth to get out and vote, but with these small numbers, it's definitely in the realm of possibility. I know a lot of people will react by stating they enjoy living in a police state where you don't mind getting pulled over for no reason, like pulling out of the Hopmonk parking lot even if they did not drink one drop and weren't even at that establishment, but had a "license plate light bulb out", but I'm kind of sick of it.
Utah man caught in Sebastopol sting
By JULIE JOHNSON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Sunday, June 19, 2011 at 6:58 p.m.
A Utah man was arrested over the weekend in Sebastopol during a police undercover operation aimed at catching adults who sell alcohol to minors.
Working with police, three minors — two boys and a girl — made 29 attempts to get an adult to buy alcohol for them between 5 and 9 p.m. Saturday, Sebastopol Police Officer David Edney said.
They focused their efforts at nine businesses popular among customers seeking to buy alcohol, he said.
Kelly Roger Smith, 24, who is in the area from Utah, was arrested at about 7 p.m. in the town Plaza on suspicion of buying alcohol for minors, Edney said.
Nathan Mark Demartini, 19, of Sebastopol was arrested in the Safeway parking lot on suspicion of smoking marijuana, a violation of his probation terms, officials said.
Underage alcohol-buying sting nets one in Sebastopol
By RANDI ROSSMANN
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Monday, June 13, 2011 at 10:34 a.m.
Teens working with Sebastopol police attempted to get people to buy them alcohol in town Saturday night and in 22 attempts they had one person agree.
Officers arrested Ricardo Herrera Hernandez, 21, of Sebastopol, on suspicion he provided alcohol to a minor, a misdemeanor crime, reported Officer Dennis Colthurst.
The teens also tried to buy alcohol themselves at five businesses but were turned down each time, Colthurst said.
Officers conducted the operation Saturday night from 5 -8:30 p.m.
The teens approached people at six locations as they approached the business, telling customers they were under 21 years and hoped the person would buy them some alcohol, Colthurst said.
At the 7-Eleven store on Pleasant Hill Avenue, Hernandez agreed and they gave him money. The young man bought them each a 24-ounce can of beer, Colthurst said.
Officers arrested him nearby. They cited him and released him to appear in court on an appointed date.
The effort was funded by a state grant aimed at reducing teen access to alcohol.