Alcohol Stings in Centreville

Kids looking for adults to buy them alcohol will probably find it a little tougher these days after a recent undercover Fairfax County Police Department sting operation that staked out a number of grocery and convenience stores in Centreville.

Called "Operation Shoulder Tap," the sting used underaged and youthful-looking police cadets who approached adults in front of Centreville stores that sold wine and beer, said Sgt. Eli Cory, who headed the effort based out of the department's Sully District station.

The cadets went up to the adults and asked them to buy beer, Cory said.

"We weren't trying to fool anyone," Cory said. "We didn't dress them up in a suit and a tie to make them look like adults. We were right up front with everyone the cadets contacted."

If asked by the adult if they were 21, the cadets were told to respond with their true age, Cory said. The cadets approached 32 adults during the one-night operation earlier this month. Four agreed to purchase the beer and an officer watching the transaction intervened as the adult came out of the store, Cory said.

One of the arrests was made at Citimart and two at the 7-Eleven store, both located along Lee Highway. There was also an arrest made at the In & Out Convenience Store in Centreville Square.  

All four adults were charged with purchasing alcohol for minors and released upon their promise to show up in court. The misdemeanor charges are to be heard next month, Cory said, and could result in fines, probation or community service. None of the store clerks was charged because the clerks made a legal sale and were not involved in the transaction between the adult customers and the cadets.

The operation is part of the department's ongoing effort to fight underage drinking, Cory said. "It is a continuing problem that we just have to keep our eye on," he said.

The department plans another operation in the area sometime later this year. Cory said he expects to have no problem getting cadet volunteers for the next sting.

"All the cadets have made a commitment to police work and this is something they really want to do," Cory said. "If they are nervous about it, they don't show it. Guys usually are fighting [to volunteer] for this."

The ones that are still in the dark about the operation are the 28 adults who refused to cooperate. After they turned down the cadets, they were allowed to go on their way without further contact by police. Police didn't want to alert them that they had done the right thing for fear of blowing the undercover operation, Cory said.