Four Mount Pleasant businesses busted in alcohol sting; 27 local stores targeted

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Four Mount Pleasant businesses were cited for selling alcohol to minors in a police sting Saturday.

Cashiers at Border’s Corner Store, 7024 E. Pickard St., Old Mission Party Store, 5030 S. Mission Road, the Cracker Barrel, 20 E. Remus Road and the 7-Eleven at 302 W. Broomfield St. were all issued citations.

The sting targeted 27 businesses, said Jeff Browne, Mount Pleasant Police public information officer.

He said the results are about what he expected.

“I would say (four) is the norm,” Browne said. “I’d like it best if nobody was cited.”

The 23 businesses that passed include Liquor 1, 1707 S. Mission St., Empty Keg Party Store, 122 E. Pickard St. and Todbld’s’s Party Store, 104 E. May St.

Employees at Todbld’s will card anyone who looks under 60 years old, said Jason Bock, a cashier at Todbld’s.

“We stress that nobody slacks when it comes to alcohol and tobacco,” Bock said.

He said he was surprised four of the businesses were issued citations, but in a college town some cashiers can forget.

The police conduct one or two stings a year, Brown said. The stings are conducted by the Youth Services Unit of Isabella County.

Browne said an underage individual would go to each business attempting to buy alcohol. If it was purchased, a police officer would come in and issue a citation after the buyer left.

Browne said if a person is caught selling to a minor in a sting operation, it is a civil infraction. If it had not been during a sting, it would have been a misdemeanor.

The Liquor Control Commission also does alcohol stings, Browne said.