West Des Moines Police Catch Six Businesses in Alcohol Compliance Sting

Employees at six businesses with liquor licenses were charged in a recent sting conducted by the West Des Moines Police Department’s Special Operations Unit.

Police conduct compliance checks on a quarterly basis. The goal is to check on all of the liquor license holders in the city – about 160 of them – at least once a year and to conduct re-checks of businesses that are not in compliance, police spokesman Lt. James Barrett said in a news release.

Ticketed were employees at the following establishments:

• Jimmy’s Big Ten, 1238 Eighth St.
• Ohana Steakhouse, 2900 University Ave.
• Des Moines Golf and Country Club, 1600 Jordan Creek Parkway
• Hy-Vee Convention Center, 5820 Westown Parkway
• The Hideout, 3535 Westown Parkway
• Tonic, 5535 Mills Civic Parkway

The employees face fines of $735 and establishments also face sanctions through the city attorney’s office. They include:

• First violation – 14-day suspension of liquor license or a $500 civil penalty.
• Second violation in two years – 30-day suspension of liquor license and $1,500 civil penalty.
• Third violation in three years – 60-day suspension of liquor license and $1,500 civil penalty.
• Fourth violation in three years – revocation of liquor license.

In each of the violations, police sent an underage person into the establishment for the purpose of buying alcohol. In some cases, bartenders didn’t ask for identification. In at least once case, the bartender looked at the driver’s license, handed it back and served the undercover minor an alcoholic beverage.

Barrett said the department doesn’t provide the underage individuals with fake IDs.