Montgomery Co. sting operation targets store clerks selling alcohol to minors
A series of sting operations in Montgomery County has produced 13 arrests for selling alcohol to minors.
The operation was in an effort to help crackdown on underage drinking during Spring Break.
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Crackdowns like this are important. In 2020 almost 10% of drivers involved in a fatal DWI crash were under the age of 21 in Texas.
Montgomery County Precinct 4 led this sting with the assistance of Splendora and Roman Forest Police Departments and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
The operation lasted five hours and checked 89 locations in the area using students from local schools to make the purchases. Of the 89 stores, 76 did comply by refusing to sell.
The 13 clerks that did sell the alcohol were arrested. Authorities say that four of the clerks did ask for ID but still made the sale.
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The constable says he holds sting operations like this one, three times a year for spring break, summer, and Christmas.
"Our goal is to keep alcohol out of the minors’ hands. If we can keep alcohol away from minors we can prevent accidents involving minors," said Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constable Rowdy Hayden.
The 13 individuals were taken to the Montgomery County Jail. Their charge is a class A misdemeanor that carries a $4,000 fine or up to a year in jail, or both.