Sharon Businesses Pass Compliance Checks

Sharon Police Sgt. Gary Eddings, along with Mayor Ali Stalter and Weakley County Prevention Coalition representatives, presented a certificate of appreciation to Little General of Sharon for not selling alcohol to an undercover individual who was a minor during a recent compliance check of the local business.

SHARON (March 6) - On Saturday, March 6, 2021 at 7 p.m., SGT. Gary Eddings of the Sharon Police Department, with the assistance of the Weakley County Prevention Coalition, performed undercover alcohol compliance sales checks at local businesses, which have permits to sell alcohol within the city limits of Sharon.

Eddings states the Weakley County Prevention Coalition provided a 19-year-old undercover person, who participated in compliance checks at two area businesses.

The Dollar General store, located at 6095 Hwy. 45, and the Little General store, located at 110 East Main St., both located inside the city limits of Sharon.

“Compliance checks are performed by the Sharon Police Department to determine if local alcohol permit holders are complying with state and local laws and ordinances, which prohibit the sale of alcohol to persons under the age of 21,” Eddings said. “The City of Sharon regularly educates local alcohol retailers concerning minimum age alcohol laws and the importance of verifying the age of their customers before selling age-restrictive products such as alcohol. I am proud to say each business was following the law and did not sell alcohol to the 19-year-old undercover agent,” he added.

The Weakley County Prevention Coalition will provide any local business assistance in getting their employees trained on laws to be able to sell alcohol at a business.

The Sharon Police Department, along with Weakley County Prevention Coalition presented the employees of both business a certification of appreciation and notified their employer of the good work on not selling alcohol to underage persons.

Eddings states, "We have learned that the community and our youth are safer and healthier when they don't start using alcohol until after age 21. Providing alcohol to an underage person is a Class A misdemeanor with a $25 fine, $200 court cost, and up to 11 months and 29 days in jail. Help us keep the next generation safe. It can be done by keeping alcohol out of the hands of our youth."

This is the first compliance check the Sharon Police Department has conducted working with the Weakley County Prevention Coalition and the organizations will periodically continue to conduct these checks.