Please attribute to Acting Senior Sergeant Lisa Woodward, Alcohol Harm Prevention, Auckland City District Police:
Police are pleased overall but disappointed with the actions of a couple of premises following a recent Controlled Purchase Operation (CPO) in Auckland City of off-licence premises.
The operation was conducted by Auckland City Police Alcohol Harm Prevention Officers along with Auckland Council Licensing and Auckland Regional Public Health Staff.
CPO’s are used in conjunction with licence compliance checks to ensure licensed premises and certified managers are operating within their legal responsibilities.
For this operation a 16-year-old volunteer visited 17 premises and attempted to purchase alcohol using their own legitimate proof of age document.
Police were very pleased with the majority of the premises, who requested identification, correctly identified the age of the minor and politely declined the sale.
Disappointingly, two premises did sell alcohol to the 16-year-old. Police are particularly concerned as one of these premises has received licence suspensions on previous occasions for selling alcohol to minors.
Minors are at increased risk of alcohol-related harm and selling alcohol to a minor is a serious offence, attracting heavy fines and/or suspension upon conviction.
“It is a privilege, not a right, that licencees and duty managers are granted the ability to sell alcohol and we expect them to take their responsibilities around the sale of alcohol extremely seriously. To sell to minors who are carrying, and on request presenting, legitimate identification showing they are under the legal purchase age is unacceptable,” says Acting Senior Sergeant Lisa Woodward.
Police will be applying to the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority (ARLA) for orders in relation to each sale to the minor.
If you have any concerns about the sale or supply of alcohol to minors in your community, or you have any other questions around the sale or supply of alcohol, please contact your local Police station or Alcohol Harm Prevention Officer.
A wide range of resources is also available at www.alcohol.org.nz
ENDS
Nick Baker/NZ Police