In a months-long operation targeting underage drinking in Massachusetts, cops confiscated 250 cases of beer and 150 bottles of liquor from minors or adults attempting to buy for underage kids at package stores and bars near college campuses, including student-favorite locations at Boston University, such as Marty’s Liquor’s and Lee’s Market.
Joining a long list of programs aimed to cut down underage drinking, the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission unleashed Operation Safe Campus, a statewide law enforcement operation running from the beginning of September to the end of last week.
“Operation Safe Campus prevents underage youths in Massachusetts from obtaining alcoholic beverages and, in turn, makes college campuses and surrounding communities safer,” said State Treasurer Tim Cahill, who spearheaded the project, in a Nov. 2 press release.
The operation turned up 400 minors holding or purchasing alcohol, while investigators have charged 20 bars or liquor stores with 33 counts of selling alcohol to minors, according to the press release.
A BU College of Arts and Sciences junior, who was cited by Massachusetts State Police for underage possession of alcohol in early September, said she approves of the operation.
“I think it’s a good thing,” said the 20-year-old who requested anonymity. “It shocks kids into realizing illegally buying alcohol is not a good thing — that it’s not just a joke, and it’s better than just arresting kids.
“I got caught by state police,” she added. “The way they handled it was much better. They told us Boston police would have probably arrested us.”
The student said her 21-year-old friend bought her and another friend a bottle of tequila and a 30-pack of beer at Blanchard’s Wine and Spirits, and said an undercover officer caught her during the transfer once they reached the car.
“He knocked on the window and asked us for ID,” she said. “He told us about the Operation [Safe Campus] and said that police were really cracking down this year – most nights of the weekend, they were tracking down major stores that underage kids go to.”
The student said although she regretted being caught, the citation will not dissuade her from trying to purchase alcohol in the future.
“It’s something that happened, and now I’m just going to have to be a lot more careful,” she said.
Police have also targeted areas like Beverly, Salem and Worcester, where there are large concentrations of college students.
Despite police efforts, college students will continue to drink at the same rate, said Brookline Liquors manager and 25-year employee Roger Orman, who said the operation will only push minors to be even more discreet in their methods.
“The drinking that goes on now has been going on forever,” Orman said. “Operation Safe Campus hasn’t changed much yet. Kids now drink the same amount as when I was in college.”
While Orman said he has noticed an increase of police presence in his store recently, Christian Boyde, 24, a bartender at Harvard Gardens, said he has not seen any evidence of a crackdown.
“I haven’t seen any undercover or anything making any arrests at my bar,” Boyde said.
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