Got ID? APD Cadets Go Undercover To See If Businesses Card For Liquor, Tobacco

AURORA, IL — In an attempt to see which Aurora businesses were carding for the sale of alcohol and tobacco, cadets at the Aurora Police Department went undercover as part of an investigation.

Of the 11 businesses cadets — who were all under the age of 21 — visited, nine complied and two shops didn't. Under Aurora Ordinance 13-10a, businesses are required to card to prevent the sale of alcohol and tobacco to minors.

"The Aurora Police Department takes the sale of alcohol and tobacco to our youth seriously," Aurora Police Special Operations Group Lieutenant Greg Spayth said in a statement. "It takes only a moment for a store clerk to check someone’s identification and make sure they are of the age to purchase alcohol or tobacco. Operations like this allow us to make sure our local businesses are doing their duty to make sure they are complying with state and local laws."

The following businesses were found to be compliant with carding:

• Dr. Lungzzz, 245 S. Lake St.
• Northgate Wines & Liquors, 874 N. Lake St.
• Randall Liquors, 1660 N. Randall Road
• Papa Jay’s Smoke Shop, 1147 E. New York St.
• La Villita Liquors, 1415 E. New York St.
• Liquor Lane, 2178 Ogden Ave.
• Tobacco & Vape, 2174 Ogden Ave.
• GreenSmoke Vape & Tobacco, 444 N. Eola Road
• Smokes R Us, 3150 N. Aurora Road, Unit F

These two businesses did not card the cadets, according to police:

• Shell, located at 407 S. Lake St.
• Royal Food & Liquor, 335 E. Indian Trail

At Shell, the clerk sold one cadet grape-flavored Swisher Sweets cigarillos, while at Royal Food & Liquor, a cadet purchased a can of Modelo Negra and was not carded. After both sales were complete, police said Special Operation Group investigators issued clerks a notice to appear for the unlawful sale of a tobacco product to a person under the age of 21 years.