School resource officers cited four stores during a tobacco sting operation last Thursday where minors attempted to buy tobacco products. The stores included Main Street gas station Coast Gas, Arco Gas on Bernal Avenue and Utah Street, Shell Gas on Pimlico Drive, and Plaza Market and Deli on Springdale Avenue.
Sgt. Michael Tryphonas said the sting, done while students were out for spring break, was successful and considered the outcome to be positive.
“You can see that a majority of businesses are very cognizant,” he said. “When we do these operations, it’s done as an educational campaign.”
During the sting, an officer saw a minor not involved in the sting buy cigars from Plaza Market and Deli. Both the clerk and the buyer were cited, according to police.
Tryphonas said the police came up with the idea for the sting operation after so much attention had been shed on teen issues. Tobacco use, especially among minors, became a concern for parents and educators when results of the California Health Kids Survey were revealed.
The other 12 businesses required identification of the minors and refused to sell them cigarettes. They were: Express Liquors, 7-11 Foodstore on Hopyard Road, 7-11 Foodstore on Valley Avenue, Valero Gas on Hopyard Road, Perry’s Liquors, Kavanaugh Liquors, Main Street Liquors, Pleasanton Liquors, Cole’s Market, Chevron Gas at Valley Avenue and Santa Rita Road, Unocal 76 on First Street and Shell Gas on First Street.
Tryphonas said police are actively looking for violations like this as well as alcohol- and drug-related violations. Officers were said to have patrolled neighborhoods the Thursday night before spring break looking for possible house parties with underage drinking. Tryphonas also added that an alcohol sting may be planned sometime in the future.
