Police: Alcohol Compliance Checks Coming Back

Beware, Arlington liquor license holders.

The Arlington Police Department will spend the next few months running alcohol compliance checks to ensure stores and restaurants are not serving underage patrons.

“Alcohol consumption by young people has a profound effect on our community,” Chief Fred Ryan said in a statement. “Alcohol use by teens is related to traffic crashes, crime, poor performance in school and a number of other behaviors having an adverse impact on the quality of life in Arlington.”

Last July, the  suspended Midami Japanese Restaurant's liquor license for three days after the restaurant .

Police ran a sting on all alcohol-serving restaurants and three liquor stores. Midami, 444 Massachusetts Ave., was the only alcohol-serving establishment to have failed the test, according to police.

A Midami manager told the selectmen that a new employee failed to check the underage operatives' identifications due to lack of experience.

Town Counsel Juliana Rice said a three-day suspension conformed to the town's policy on first-time alcohol compliance violations.

Now, trained police officers will once again head to the streets to run stings and other operations to make sure minors aren't buying alcohol in Arlington.

"No single approach will entirely solve the problem," Ryan said. "However, each approach, implemented effectively and used in concert with all the other strategies currently being implemented by the Arlington Youth Health and Safety Coalition may help to reduce the scope of the problem."

This won't be a one-time initiative, the chief added.

"We will periodically conduct compliance checks to ensure the safety of our children and to ensure that our licensed establishments are in compliance with the law," Ryan said.