Two clerks from different Winter Haven stores found themselves on the wrong side of the law last Friday, after an undercover sting operation caught them selling alcohol to a minor. As reported by the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the minor in question was actually a cadet from their own ranks, taking part in 'Operation Pop Top'—a mission geared toward enforcing the legal age for alcohol and tobacco sales.
Detailed in a Polk County Sheriff's Office release, the program sent the underage cadet into seven retail locations in an attempt to buy alcoholic drinks, in a bid to ensure compliance with state law; the cadet succeeded in purchasing alcohol at two stores. Sheriff Grady Judd articulated the intent behind the sting, "Operation Pop Top has two goals... one is to make sure the stores and employees know that they must be checking IDs and refusing to sell alcohol and tobacco to anyone under 21-years of age. The other is to show them that we fully intend to enforce the law, and make arrests when necessary," a commitment that Judd made clear will persist in the community's fight to uphold the law.
The employees who faced misdemeanor charges for Selling Alcoholic Beverage to a Person Under 21 were Kacy Calderon, a 20-year-old clerk from the Sunoco at 1202 6th St, NW, and 36-year-old Ryan Bodiford, who worked at Circle K located at 1000 1st St. South. Their arrests send a resounding message to retailers across the county that compliance checks are not just for show, but a serious preventative measure against underage drinking.
Polk County's message is unequivocal; the Polk County Sheriff's Office remains resolute in its endeavor to curb the sale of alcohol to minors putting retailers on notice with each 'Operation Pop Top' initiative, young cadets at the forefront of this lawful charge, are demonstrating their growing proficiency in law enforcement operations while still within their teenage years.
