Lynn Police, Girls Inc. educate on alcohol

LYNN – The Lynn Police Special Investigation Unit teamed up with Girls Incorporated of Lynn over the weekend in an effort to educate adults on the dangers of selling to or purchasing alcohol for minors.The unit conducted a “shoulder tap” operation with assistance from two underage volunteers from Girls Inc. The shoulder tap effort is designed to gauge the ease in which underage persons can recruit an adult to purchase alcohol for them by simply asking individuals outside of liquor stores to initiate a sale.In the recent operation, police targeted Hines Liquors on Western Avenue, Centro Liquors on Essex Street, MC Heald on Commercial Street, EG Hart’s on Western Avenue, Enjoy Liquors on Union Street, Sullivan’s Liquors on Essex Street, Chestnut Street Liquors on Chestnut Street and Audet’s Liquors on Boston Street.Of the 40 people approached by the underage girls, only six agreed to purchase the alcohol, two at Sullivan’s, and one each at Hines, Centro, Enjoy and Chestnut Street Liquors.Police did not make any arrests, but did stop the alcohol purchase from happening and made an effort to educate the guilty parties on the dangers of supplying minors with alcohol and the potential consequences of their actions.”An 85 percent compliance rate was attained and shows promise toward efforts to educate the public relative to enforcement and the laws and regulations governing the sale of alcohol,” said Sgt. Richard Carrow, officer in charge of the SIU.