The following comes from the Harvard Police Department:
TOBACCO COMPLIANCE
On 03-15-15, the Harvard Police Department conducted a tobacco compliance check of local businesses in Harvard.
Ayer Street in Harvard at the Milk Day Parade.
The compliance check resulted in ordinance citations being issued for selling tobacco products to a minor to the following places:
- Harvard Food and Liquor, 100 Admiral Drive
- Walgreens, 395 S. Division Street
- BP, 501 S. Division Street
- Cardinal Liquor, 1001 S. Division Street
- Casey’s General Store, 309 S. Division Street
- Harvard Short Stop, 302 S. Ayer Street
- Lil Corner Store, 301 N. Division Street
- Shell, 1300 N. Division Street
- Harvard Cigarette & Cigar, 24 N. Ayer Street
- Beer and Cigarette Depot, 360 S. Division Street
- Marathon, 360 S. Division Street
There’s a $100 fine for each occurrence.
Don’t cops have better things to do?
How about protecting the public from burglers instead of teen smokers.
DJH, your inference is comical and I love the paralogism inherent in your contention that “protecting the public” is so utterly one dimensional.
So, I guess the cops are running around, letting burglars go and hitting teen smokers instead (not really what the post is about…but why let semantics ruin it)?
I can see it now…
Officer: “Gee, I’d really like to arrest Johnny Badguy for that B and E, but I gotta spend the next three years busting 15 year old smokers…”.
I imagine cops can multitask and handle both…just a thought.
really?
C’mon.
To pay expensive, trained professionals to go around stores checking to see if they are selling cigarettes to 17 year olds is ridiculous.
Your defense of the police, I’m sure, is based on a closeness to police in general.
Police are starting to feel the pressure as more people and businesses are getting sick of their intrusiveness in our lives.
Police officers are AWESOME…..when they stick to their job of protecting people.
When they close down restaurants or businesses or attack citizens for trivial BS, it bothers the citizenry.
30 years ago it PDs were more the former.
Now they’re more like busy bodies intrusive into peoples lives.
Did you hear last week – a woman comes home and finds her husband sleeping with his mistress in HER BED.
She gets upset, throws her shoe at her husband.
Police come and ARREST HER !!!
It’s time police start evaluating what they should really be doing.
Penalizing businesses is not real smart.
Arresting mom’s who catch their husbands with another woman isn’t real smart.
CLM, so you feel it’s cool for stores to sell smokes to teens?
Sounds like you have a compass-but what do you suggest?
I have teens at home and, to be honest, I don’t fancy the idea of a retailer vending smokes or beer to them underage.
It’s a simple premise for these retailers–do your job, check and follow the ID, period.
No one gets popped, parents can sleep a little better and business goes on.
I doubt these businesses are evil and intended to sell or that they make their bread and butter selling to minors, but there needs to be protection of our children (smoking is still bad…).
Although I agree this isn’t the crime of the century, it is community caretaking and not BS.
Your domestic anecdote is compelling but, it’s just that–an anecdote and not a realistic image of what cops do day in and day out.
My last comment here.
CLM–do you feel children are a vulnerable population?
Studies clearly show youth lack impulse control, life experience and are more susceptible to addictions–if you feel cops have bigger fish to fry–what’s your threshold for making life decisions?
12?
14?
If they’re capable of making up their own minds and don’t need caretaking, why not allow those at your threshold to move out of the house?
I would guess it’s because you would agree that youth are vulnerable and, despite the fact no one likes a nanny state–most people would agree children require more protection.
This is merely part of that protection.
I’m done and out.
reall?
C’mon. Wake up.
Rather than reflexively defend the police by using the overused “it’s for the children” argument, take the perspective from the business owner.
You own a convenient mart.
You’re hiring people at minimum wage or slightly higher.
You need 3 shifts a day, 7 days a week.
These people are responsible for carding customers for cigarettes, alcohol, and other products (gambling, lottery, other products not allowed young people).
The workers have to make sure no one is shoplifting and keep an eye on the gas being sold outside. Bathrooms and the aisles have to be cleaned.
Long lines develop.
You need happy customers.
In comes an undercover policeman posing as someone who looks 19 but is 17.
You’re busy.
The boss is on your case because the convenient mart is barely making overhead.
Property taxes are now through the roof and your store is on Randall Road and the county is going to annex 1/3 of your parking lot.
You make the quick decision for the purpose of efficiency to make the customers in line happy, “He looks 18” and you quickly sell cigarettes.
BUSTED.
That scenario is reality.
Business is tough.
Government and now the police are on your case.
The phony notion that they’re handing out cigarettes to 12 year olds to feed their addiction caused by the convenient stores is pure BS – and you know it.
Let’s give business owners and their employees a break.
It’s tough to run a business.
To make a profit in this environment is extremely difficult.
Increased regulations, governmental rules on selling virtually everything.
Age limits.
Property and sales taxes are going up.
The municipalities are changing roads all over.
Now the police are nailing you.
Really? – you’re too emotionally involved.
You should be proud of police.
Keep them from doing this ridiculous phony baloney “public service”.
It’s pure BS.
All they’re doing is angering their own citizenry.
I have teenagers too.
If they bought cigarettes at a convenient store, I assure you, I wouldn’t be upset at the convenient store.
I’d discipline my kid.
In today’s day and age, my kid might be encouraged by the school to call the police on me.
Then, I’d probably get arrested for disciplining my kid.
That’s the new world we live in.
Still didn’t answer me.
Also, you’d be the only parent I’ve ever met that wouldn’t blame the retailer.
Btw, your efficiency argument is fantasy.
It takes seconds to ID.
Nice try though and thats your BS.
See, you’ve lost sight of the free market reality.
You are either a politician or a police officer (the distinction between the two is starting to blur, however).
I believe children are vulnerable to violent and evil predators.
NOT to bars or convenient stores or Joe Camel.
Love it. Typical knee-jerk emotional reaction from a progressive called really?
Then…turns out to be a liar.
Has to come back as Really because they lied about making a last comment under their other name.
Nice way to put your last neener neener neener comment in.
LOL CLM cleaned your clock with the truth.
Cindy, such a scathing comment.
I wasn’t going to waste the effort to reply to a tinfoil hat afficianado, but I find it must be therapeutic for you to have such a high brow level of communication with a human.
I’m sure you’ve overly taxed yourself and I’m concerned you’ve over done yourself.
Now brush you teeth with some fluoride and watch out for those vapor trials.
Really…..you got burned by CLM. CLM is right and his is the superior argument.
Cindy nailed it.
The ad-homonym attack came from you.
I’ve never been out to burn or clean anyone’s clock.
Guess I left junior high a long time ago………..
but you and Cindy have fun with that (if you are indeed two different people).
Cigarettes are very addicting habit, the product is proven to cause cancer, and most people who are current or ex smokers and drinkers say it’s more difficult to stop smoking than stop drinking.
The legal age to buy cigarettes in Illinois is 18 and that law should be well known to anyone selling cigarettes and many stores have a sign stating you must be at least 18 to buy cigarettes.
There does not seem to be public support to change the law.
Cigarette stings in general have strong community support as most parents don’t want their kids buying cigarettes at stores.
Some communities charge more than $100 for violating the law.
Harvard police in general are not overly aggressive.
IDOT declaring Harmilda a traffic hazard and forcing her to the side of the road was deemed by some as being overly aggressive.
Didn’t realize the cow statue ever caused an accident but obviously traffic engineers saw it differently.
Be careful Mark.
Now you are spouting lies and damn lies.
Your sounding like a curmudgeon.
Maybe you should stick to your school and tax issues.
You are out of your league here using condescending comments that smokers and/or drinkers could take umbrage at reading.
Sex before marriage should be illegal too.
So should drinking too much.
BTW, then, Mark…. Why aren’t cigarettes illegal?
Before you know it, Mark will regulate our sleeping, eating, and drinking.
The BIG GULP ….. that’ evil too, right Mark.
Let’s legislate ALL vices!!!
You lead this Puritan march, Mark!