April 27, 2022 Vol. 16

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The National Liquor Law Enforcement Association (NLLEA) is a non-profit association

of law enforcement personnel dedicated to the enforcement of liquor laws and regulations.

Conference Registration and Hotel Booking are Now Available

Registration is $500.00 for members and $650.00 for non-members

Hotel Accomodations for NLLEA Guests is $149.00/night

NLLEA Conference is a professional law enforcement event, open to NLLEA members, qualified non-members, public health professionals and exhibitors

Click Here to Register for the 2022 NLLEA Conference

SUBMIT YOUR AWARD NOMINATIONS

DUE APRIL 30, 2022

National Liquor Law Enforcement Association

The NLLEA Awards recognize leaders and outstanding programs in the field of alcohol law enforcement. Annual awards are given in the following four categories: Alcohol Law Enforcement Agency of the Year, Alcohol Law Enforcement Agent of the Year, Innovative Alcohol Law Enforcement Program of the Year, and the John W. Britt Community Service Award. For more information on each award, visit the awards page at nllea.org. 

The deadline for receiving nominations is April 30, 2022. Please email this document along with any supporting documentation to carrie.christofes@nllea.org. You should receive an email confirmation of your submission within 48 hours. If you do not receive an email receipt confirmation, please call 724-762-5939 to confirm receipt of the nomination.

Sergeant-at-Arms Nominations

The National Liquor Law Enforcement Association (NLLEA) Executive Board is seeking self-nominations for the 2022 Sergeant-at-Arms position for the Board. This is a volunteer position. Elections will be held during the Business Meeting at the 35th Annual NLLEA Conference being held September 26-28 at the Sheraton Hotel Station Square in Pittsburgh, PA.  CLICK HERE FOR THE APPLICATION INFORMATION


JOB POSTINGS


North Carolina Department of Public Safety

Alcohol Law Enforcement Careers

Application window closes on April 29th




CLICK HERE FOR ALE POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Utah adopts new alcohol safety practices

Utah’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABC) Director Tiffany Clason announced the organization’s implementation of new alcohol safety programs which include a first-ever mocktail station at Park City’s annual cocktail competition and statewide law enforcement training for alcohol-related crimes and investigations.

“The DABC is committed to alcohol awareness efforts that impact the health and safety of all Utahns, whether they drink or not,” said DABC Director Tiffany Clason. “That’s why we are expanding this work with two new programs that support Utahns looking for alternatives to alcohol and the workers serving them drinks, as well as police who enforce alcohol laws and investigate crimes like drinking and driving.”

Per these new regulations, a mocktail section will be included in the 2022 Park City Restaurant Association Cocktail Competition. By adding mocktails to the events menu, the Utah DABC is demonstrating to the public that designated drivers, people under the age of 21, and anyone wanting to consume less or no alcohol can enjoy the refreshing beverages as alternatives to alcohol.

“The mocktail section gives Park City’s talented mixologists a chance to flex their skills in new ways and expands public participation in the annual competition to include non-drinkers as well. We appreciate the partnership with the DABC on this fun addition to our competition,” said Ginger Wicks, Executive Director of the Park City Area Restaurant Association.

Among other things, the Utah DABC is providing new law enforcement “trace trainings” through the National Liquor Law Enforcement Association (NLLEA). According to Clason, these trainings will teach investigative tactics to detect where individuals were over-served alcohol before getting behind the wheel. These trainings will aid officers by giving them tools to locate the bars and restaurants that are over-serving.

“The National Liquor Law Enforcement Association is excited to partner with the DABC and bring our training to Utah law enforcement, supporting police investigators in their jobs and improving the safety of everyone living in Utah,” said NLLEA Director Carrie Christofes.

The new programs go hand-in-hand with the ongoing alcohol awareness work managed by Utah’s DABC, an organization that aims to have every Utah child reach the age of 21 alcohol-free.

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North Carolina authorities charge 259 in alcohol law enforcement operation

Police in North Carolina have charged 259 people in connection with an alcohol law enforcement operation on Friday night.

The North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement charged the individuals with offenses ranging from drug, alcohol, firearm, driving, and gambling offenses during a Friday night statewide operation, according to Fox 8.

Multiple local, state, and federal agencies assisted in the operation, which targeted violence and other illegal activity where alcohol is sold, according to Director of North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Bryan House.

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NC-High Point Search Warrants Conclude ALE Investigation

ALE and the High Point Police Department yesterday raided three illegal alcohol outlets which resulted in the seizure of drugs and alcoholic beverages. The investigations stemmed from community complaints of illegal sales of alcoholic beverages in the High Point area. 

On Wednesday, April 20, ALE special agents and officers with the High Point Police Department executed search warrants at 1513 Franklin Avenue, High Point, NC, 1403 East Commerce Avenue, High Point, NC and 1403 East Green Drive, High Point, NC. The search warrants resulted in the seizure of approximately 142.81 liters of alcoholic beverages, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. 

ALE’s 108 specially trained agents have the authority to arrest and take investigatory action throughout North Carolina. Their primary responsibility is the enforcement of Alcoholic Beverage Control, tobacco, state lottery and gambling laws. 

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CA-Liquor store in hot water following alcohol sale without a license in Hanford

A liquor store out of Hanford is now in trouble after it was caught selling alcohol without a liquor license.

The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) says Bubba’s Food & Liquor near Florinda Street and 10th Avenue previously lost the ability to sell liquor back in March.

According to ABC, an undercover officer walked into the store on April 21 and bought two cans of beer from the owner, Jaspinder Dhillon (Singh). This, as a result, caused the officer to recover nearly 300 cases of beer, liquor, and wine from the store.

Now, the city is considering taking action against the establishment for partaking in illegal activity.

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Police: Off-campus 'out-of-control drinking party' in Oregon an 'embarrassment'

The Eugene Police Department started receiving calls Saturday morning about a very large party.

An estimated 500 to 1,000 people were reported to be blocking the entire roadway, spreading into the travel lanes and spreading onto neighboring properties. In attendance were underage drinkers, college-aged individuals and middle-aged parents, Eugene PD said.

Police were called to respond and had glass bottles and canned food thrown at them, EPD said, adding that units ended up having to push the crowd out when hails to disperse failed.

“Something like this is a complete embarrassment for the people who engaged in that party,” said Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner. “We all understand the excitement Spring brings but these irresponsible individuals, including parents and their college-aged children should be ashamed. What they did was force our operations to go into what is termed ‘priority calls.’ This means that much of the rest of the community has to have their individual calls for service placed on hold while we deal with people who are not able to self-regulate or observe our community’s standards of behavior."

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NY eyes facial recognition to ‘card’ for alcohol, cigarettes, e-cigs

This could put a real dent in the fake ID market.

The New York State Senate is moving forward with proposed legislation that would allow bars and restaurants to use facial recognition or fingerprint scanners to verify someone’s age before they buy alcohol, tobacco or electronic cigarettes.

“This is the new frontier of age verification,” said state Sen. James Skoufis, who is sponsoring the biometrics bill. “It does advance the interests of convenience.”

Skoufis envisions that bars and restaurants could scan fingerprints, faces or retinas of customers who want to be spared the trouble of showing an ID when they return to an establishment in the future. The proposed legislation requires all data to be encrypted and prohibits businesses from selling biometric data to third parties.

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TTB Issues Four-Part Series on Health-Related Alcohol Marketing Claims

As consumers continue to trend toward more health-conscious options, including in their choice of alcoholic beverages, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has responded with guidance on health-related marketing claims in a four-part weekly newsletter. The guidance is in response to what TTB categorized as an “increasing number of alcohol beverage advertisements…suggesting a relationship between alcohol beverage consumption and purported health benefits or effects” and provides industry members general guidance utilizing specific examples to help the industry navigate marketing in this space.

As a reminder, the TTB prohibits industry members from making any health-related statement in advertising that is (1) untrue or (2) tends to create a misleading impression of the effects of alcohol consumption on health.

Throughout the four-week focus, TTB provided some examples of unsubstantiated advertising statements that suggest consuming a particular alcohol beverage will mitigate health consequences typically associated with alcohol consumption that would be considered prohibited:

  • “No headaches”
  • “Hangover free”
  • “Diabetic friendly”

TTB also provided examples of unsubstantiated advertising statements that suggest consuming an alcoholic beverage will result in health benefits that would also be considered prohibited:

  • “Recovery drink”
  • “Anti-inflammatory”
  • “Aphrodisiac”
  • “Health benefits”

In week three, TTB weighed in on the use of the term “clean” in alcohol labeling and advertising. TTB reminded readers that it does not define the word “clean,” nor does it have a standard for the use of the term on labels or in advertisements. Accordingly, it alerted consumers that the use of the term should not be interpreted as suggesting a product is organic or has met any other production standard set by TTB. Whether the use of the term is permissible depends upon the totality of the label or the advertisement in which the term appears.

TTB did provide some examples of when the term is used permissibly and when its use may be misleading:

  • If the term “clean” is used as a descriptor for the taste of the beverage and is considered puffery, it may be used permissibly. For example, “X winery makes clean, crisp wine.”
  • If the term “clean” is used in a way that suggests that consumption of alcohol will have health benefits and/or that the health risks otherwise associated with alcohol consumption will be mitigated, the term’s use may be prohibited. For example, “X malt beverage is clean and healthy” or “Y vodka’s clean production methods mean no headaches for you.”

The final iteration of the four-part series reminded readers simply that “TTB advertising regulations prohibit any health-related statement that is untrue in any particular or tends to create a misleading impression as to the effects of alcohol consumption on health.”

With the amount of attention the TTB has dedicated to this area, we encourage industry members to monitor health-related advertising and marketing closely. 

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Tennessee passes bill requiring drunk drivers to pay child support if they kill a parent

The Tennessee legislature passed a bill Wednesday that would require drunk drivers to pay child support if they kill a parent and are convicted of vehicular homicide due to intoxication.

The legislation passed through the Tennessee Senate on Wednesday following an amendment to rename the bill after the two daughters of state police officer Nicholas Galinger, who was killed in a hit-and-run by a drunk driver in 2019, according to CBS 46.

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Alcohol Delivery Doesn't Lead To Underage Drinking

Since the beginning of the pandemic, America has seen a drastic overhaul of alcohol laws. To-go cocktails are legal in most states, ordering a six-pack with your weekly grocery delivery order is now commonplace, and some locales have even started revisiting their open container laws to allow more outside drinking.

While most Americans have cheered these reforms, there has also been pushback. A common concern about alcohol delivery is that it could somehow provide a backdoor route for more underage kids to access alcohol. Although this may sound scary, America has experimented with alcohol delivery before, and new research shows alcohol delivery historically has not led to more underage drinking.

It may be tempting to conjure up scary images of children ordering booze via Mom and Dad's Instacart account. But any sale of an alcoholic beverage, whether it occurs through a delivery app or at a brick-and-mortar store, provides a point-of-access in which an underage individual could obtain alcohol. 

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Wawa Slowly Expanding Beer Sales in Pennsylvania Amid Challenges

Wawa will expand its number of convenience stores that offer alcohol in Pennsylvania by adding up to 10 new beer-selling stores this year, according to CEO Chris Gheysens.

The retailer's number of stores with liquor licenses within the state is small compared to other markets such as Virginia and Florida, where all Wawa locations offer beer for sale. State liquor law is the primary differentiator, as Pennsylvania requires c-stores to purchase a restaurant liquor license, which in turn requires a store to offer seating.

Prices for Pennsylvania restaurant liquor licenses also start at approximately $100,000 and can go for several times higher, compared to markets where Wawa can acquire liquor licenses for hundreds of dollars, Gheysens told the Philadelphia Business Journal.

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Gopuff Does Deliveries in 30 Minutes or Less. It’s Also Buying Time for Itself.

Source New York Times

From its beginning in 2013, Gopuff aimed to do rapid delivery differently.

The start-up’s founders, Yakir Gola and Rafael Ilishayev, based the company in Philadelphia, away from other delivery ventures in Silicon Valley and New York. They opened warehouses and bought their own merchandise, instead of acting as middlemen who connected retailers and restaurants with customers. And they promised speed, delivering food and other items in 30 minutes or less.

By late last year, Gopuff had amassed $3.4 billion in funding, bought the alcohol and beverage retailer BevMo! and was valued at $15 billion. This year, it appeared poised to go public.

“We built a sustainable business that thrives and that is set up to win long term,” Mr. Gola, 29, said in an interview last month. Gopuff, he added, is “a disrupter.”

Now the question is whether Gopuff has done delivery differently enough. In the past few months, the start-up environment has changed from boom to uncertainty, as tech stocks have cratered, inflation has risen, interest rates have increased and the economic outlook has darkened.

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If you have Alcohol Law Enforcement news to share please send it to Carrie Christofes, Executive Director carrie.christofes@nllea.org

2021-22 NLLEA Board Members:

Todd Merlina, President - PA - tmerlina@pa.gov

Thomas Kirby, Vice President - VA - thomas.kirby@virginiaabc.com

Israel Morrow, Secretary/Treasurer - NC - israel.morrow@ncdps.gov

Jim Diana, Sergeant at Arms - DE -james.diana@delaware.gov

John Yeomans, President - DE - john.yeomans@delaware.gov

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