In a sweep that may well have sobered up the college town of Tempe, the local police, executing a coordinated operation with the Department of Liquor License and Control, arrested a striking number of 173 individuals on charges of underage drinking. As reported by FOX 10 Phoenix, all arrests were made in one night, casting a net on minors between the ages of 18 and 20 at a popular bar near Arizona State University's campus.
The crackdown follows numerous complaints against the unnamed establishment, which sits just blocks from the ASU campus and has apparently become a haven for underage drinking. According to the ABC15 report, the bust resulted in 173 arrests with 165 cited and released and eight to book into the city jail.
"There were minors in consumption of alcohol, so underage drinking as well as fake IDs that were being used, which is what most of these kids used to get inside of that bar," Tempe Police Officer Jessica Ells conveyed in a statement acquired by FOX 10 Phoenix. The Tempe Police, looking to assure the public of their intentions, stated on social media channels that their action was not to ruin any nights out but to maintain safety for the individuals involved.
The aftermath of the operation finds both the arrested young adults and the bar itself under scrutiny. While the misdemeanants have a chance to potentially clear their records through diversion programs and classes, the establishment might be facing severe repercussions for liquor law violations. "There is now a bigger investigation that goes into the actual bar themselves," Officer Ells told FOX 10 Phoenix, indicating that compliance and legalities were under question. With investigations ongoing, the next steps, as per Tempe Police, are likely to continue apace with more operations in the pipeline.
