Police Aim to Stop Sale of Alcohol To Buyers Under 21

City Manager Robert W. Healy initiated a Cambridge-wide "sting" operation this week designed to nab liquor stores and bars who sell to minors.

The new program will send plainclothes police agents into drinking establishments to try to purchase alcohol without identification. If the purchase attempt is successful, the city's license commission will reprimand the establishment.

"Extreme violators" will be brought before the License Commission for hearings, according to Richard V. Scalai, executive secretary at the commission.

Repeated violations may lead to suspension or revocation of pouring or selling licenses.

But the city's new aggressive investigations have received mixed reactions from city merchants and bar owners, who are wary of undercover, underage agents trying to purchase alcohol at their establishments.

"I don't think it's unfair, I just think it's unnecessary," said Matin J. Connealy, manager of the Harvard Provision Co. "[They should have] a stricter control on the spout rather than a sting operation."

The initiative will not attempt to tackle the problem of false identification cards or legal-age buyers purchasing alcohol for minors--problems which merchants say are more prevalent than underaged buyers with no identification.

The police will also not concentrate on any oneparticular location, despite the large underagestudent population around Harvard and KendallSquares.

"The goal is to change behavior," said LicenseCommissioner Alex P. Rodriguez. "We're not here toput people out of business or in jail."

The results of the operation, which will beongoing for the next six months, will be madepublic at its termination.

City officials said they want all merchants andunderage youths to be aware of the investigation,tagged by Healy as "an educational program" forboth the merchants and youths in the city.

"It's a good opportunity to embark on this forboth the youth and merchants in the city," saidHealy, adding that Cambridge has "no biggerproblem or no lesser problem" with underagedrinking than any other city in the country.

The program has already received support fromStudents Against Driving Drunk, the City SchoolDepartment, MIT officials and a Boston UniversitySchool of Public Health program, "Join Together."

Harvard Provision Co.'s Connealy, as well asother merchants and pouring establishment owners,said he is "not worried" about police findingproblems with his carding policy.

Under law, the only acceptable identificationfor buying alcohol is a Massachusetts driver'slicense.

"I'm not worried," said Broadway Supermarketmanager John Lichter, adding that he cards "hisfair share." "Hopefully, we'll catch theirofficers when they come around."

The owners of Grendel's Bar already have theirown policing operation in place, according tococktail waitress and bartender Isadora, who hasworked there for two years. Hired by the owners,the "spotters" are sent into the bars to check thereliability of employees.

"Here we're very careful, so it won't work,"said Isadora, adding that many students try to buya drink with no identification.

Rodriguez said the program was not inspired bythe recent rash of alcohol-related violence oncampuses, including the murder of a MIT student.

But he added that incidents such as the brawlinvolving underage drinkers two summers ago at theHarvard Sports Club--now under new management asthe Crimson Sports Grille--did play a factor inthe program's start.

"If we find that nobody [fails to checkID]--absolute zero--then we're happy," saidRodriguez.PhotoJeff ZarefCambridge bars, like Shays on JFK St., willbe subject to a round of inspections by undercoverpolice agents.

The police will also not concentrate on any oneparticular location, despite the large underagestudent population around Harvard and KendallSquares.

"The goal is to change behavior," said LicenseCommissioner Alex P. Rodriguez. "We're not here toput people out of business or in jail."

The results of the operation, which will beongoing for the next six months, will be madepublic at its termination.

City officials said they want all merchants andunderage youths to be aware of the investigation,tagged by Healy as "an educational program" forboth the merchants and youths in the city.

"It's a good opportunity to embark on this forboth the youth and merchants in the city," saidHealy, adding that Cambridge has "no biggerproblem or no lesser problem" with underagedrinking than any other city in the country.

The program has already received support fromStudents Against Driving Drunk, the City SchoolDepartment, MIT officials and a Boston UniversitySchool of Public Health program, "Join Together."

Harvard Provision Co.'s Connealy, as well asother merchants and pouring establishment owners,said he is "not worried" about police findingproblems with his carding policy.

Under law, the only acceptable identificationfor buying alcohol is a Massachusetts driver'slicense.

"I'm not worried," said Broadway Supermarketmanager John Lichter, adding that he cards "hisfair share." "Hopefully, we'll catch theirofficers when they come around."

The owners of Grendel's Bar already have theirown policing operation in place, according tococktail waitress and bartender Isadora, who hasworked there for two years. Hired by the owners,the "spotters" are sent into the bars to check thereliability of employees.

"Here we're very careful, so it won't work,"said Isadora, adding that many students try to buya drink with no identification.

Rodriguez said the program was not inspired bythe recent rash of alcohol-related violence oncampuses, including the murder of a MIT student.

But he added that incidents such as the brawlinvolving underage drinkers two summers ago at theHarvard Sports Club--now under new management asthe Crimson Sports Grille--did play a factor inthe program's start.

"If we find that nobody [fails to checkID]--absolute zero--then we're happy," saidRodriguez.PhotoJeff ZarefCambridge bars, like Shays on JFK St., willbe subject to a round of inspections by undercoverpolice agents.