Los Gatos Weekly-Times

LGPD continues its tobacco sting

Police say they want to achieve zero sales

By Shari Kaplan

The Los Gatos Police Department's "Tobacco Decoy" sting operation, under way since March of this year, cited two businesses recently for selling tobacco products to buyers under the age of 18.

During the evening of Dec. 5, minors participating in the sting visited six merchants chosen randomly from among all Los Gatos businesses that carry cigarettes and other tobacco products.

A clerk at Village Liquors on Los Gatos-Saratoga Road allowed a minor to purchase cigarettes and did not ask for any identification, according to LGPD Sgt. Tricia Friedrich. A manager later said the store was busy at the time, and the sale apparently happened so fast that the employee didn't think to ask for I.D.

An employee at the nearby Beacon (formerly Super Seven) on Los Gatos-Saratoga Road also failed to ask for identification, Friedrich said. A manager was not available for comment.

The decoy team also visited four other businesses but were "carded" and not allowed to make their purchases. According to Friedrich, these establishments were Rinconada Liquors on Pollard Road, Safeway on Pollard Road, Shell of Los Gatos on Los Gatos-Saratoga Road and the Chevron on Saratoga Avenue.

Underage decoys all have parental permission to participate in the sting and are supervised by an LGPD officer. Friedrich said that in addition to random monthly visits, the sting team will investigate businesses people have reported to police as being possible sites of unlawful tobacco sales to minors. About 10 businesses have been cited since the sting began nine months ago.

"The whole goal of this is to hopefully get to zero sales to minors," said LGPD Capt. Jeff Miller. Along with admonitory letters to those businesses that are cited, police also send letters commending the businesses visited by the sting team that did not sell cigarettes to the minors.

Selling tobacco products to minors is a violation of the California Penal Code and carries with it either a misdemeanor charge or civil action and fines. Citation cases are reviewed by the county District Attorney's Office and the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control Department.