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Date: 4/25/2023
SOUTH HADLEY — The Selectboard opened a public hearing during their April 18 meeting to review the violation of White Wing Liquor, Gas and Convenience following an issue of the store selling to minors with fake IDs.
Police Chief Jennifer Gundersen joined the hearing to break down the chain of events leading to the violation. Gundersen described earlier this year on the evening of March 3 the town’s 911 center received a caller who wished to remain anonymous who described to dispatchers there were “kids” purchasing alcohol. The anonymous caller also noted they had personal knowledge that University of Massachusetts Amherst students frequent the store on Newton Street to purchase alcohol.
Following the call, the department sent a sergeant and a patrol officer to observe the scene where they “did observe some activity that had them a little bit concerned,” according to Gundersen. This led the two responding officers to asked for two detectives to respond to the scene in plain clothing to investigate.
Detectives later arrived and quickly came into contact with two individuals which the detectives perceived and believed to be underaged.
“They approached these individuals. They had observed these individuals come out of White Wing carrying alcohol and putting it in their vehicle,” Gundersen explained.
Officers contacted the individuals who were parked in an adjacent lot next to White Wing and requested identification and it was learned that these two individuals were under the age of 21. Detectives remained on scene for another 30 minutes and observed four other vehicles enter the premise, walk into the store and come out with alcohol.
Officers approached eight more individuals in total that were perceived to appear underage who purchased alcohol from the store during this time to request proper identification. According to Gundersen, answers varied among the individuals.
“Some of these underage persons admitted to presenting fake IDs, and the officer sees those IDs and some individuals stated they had not been asked for IDs when they purchased alcohol,” Gundersen said.
Gundersen explained when officers notified the White Wing clerk working during the investigation, he quickly contacted the owner of the establishment who voluntarily decided to close the store that night until he learned more about the ongoing issue.
To add some context to what was a stretch of high-volume purchases using fake IDs, Gundersen explained these events took place the same night that is the start of the Blarney Blowout weekend festivities at UMass Amherst. Each year when the weekend of college drinking and partying begins, the university puts a lot of measures in place to try and reduce the chances of underage drinking, Gundersen said.
She noted she was aware that the university will work with local liquor stores in Amherst and Hadley to educate workers and store owners about the potential of underaged students coming in to buy alcohol with fake IDs. Gundersen added the education efforts did not reach stores in South Hadley.
Gundersen explained the process with the UMass and the two towns the university is closest to, that the Amherst and Hadley Police Departments work alongside University Police in going to different liquor stores to remind workers and store owners of the party weekend every first weekend of March and that they would likely run into underage students looking to buy alcohol with fake IDs.
“They put extra staff on in their due diligence and are told to contact the police department if they have any concerns. It is my understanding that outreach wouldn’t have made it to South Hadley, so none of our licensees would have been notified of this influx of students for this weekend,” Gundersen said.
At the summation of the investigation, Gundersen confirmed eight individuals were criminally charged with being in possession of alcohol. Five of the eight were found to have fake IDs on them.
“I looked at one of them [the fake ID], you know they were pretty good fake IDs. I can acknowledge that, you know, these weren’t just pieces of paper. They did look like legitimate licenses,” Gundersen said.
Gundersen said the following days she was in contact with the store owner and the owner’s son where they had dialogue about what happened, why it happened, and what can be done to improve on this issue in the future. White Wing was officially sent a violation for what transpired and were to meet with the Selectboard for public hearing on the violation.
The top suggestion from Gundersen and her staff was that the White Wing invest in an identification scanner. The scanner reads the card and according to Gundersen catches fakes “a vast majority of the time.”
Another one of Gundersen’s suggestions was retraining the employee on the scene the night of the investigation or not allowing them to work alone so there was additional help when there is a rush. She also suggested adding signage outside the store making it clear that they do not take out of state licenses, as it was found a majority of the fake IDs confiscated were out of state.
Gundersen also requested of White Wing that they allow officers to go into liquor stores after students returned from spring break, something they’re given permission to do and led to them conducting what they call “Cops in Shops.”
“Cops in Shops is when police officers go in and they work hand in hand with the cooperation of the licensee and the officers pretend to be clerks. They’re behind the desk or wandering the store,” Gundersen said. “When the clerk gets an identification card which they seem to suspect, or if the officer sees somebody come in that they believe in underage and then presents an ID to make an alcohol purchase, the officer approaches that person, they identify themselves as police officers, they provide their credentials…”
Gundersen said they conducted Cops in Shops the first three weekends students returned from break. Gundersen said two of the three weekends they saw continued violations. Gundersen added she has been in contact with the university so they could also take additional actions at the school level with their students and education of consequences of fake IDs and underaged drinking.
Speaking for White Wing legally was their attorney, Arthur Pearlman. Pearlman was clear and consistent in that while they admit mistakes were made, the store owner was already doing what was needed in resolving these issues.
“We’re not controverting anything that the chief said,” Pearlman said. “The family [store owners] I think has been very cooperative.”
Pearlman noted that staff knew to be checking identifications following the initial spark to this issue but during the Cops in Shops weekends they still ran into some problems. He added they do not know why the clerk let a couple fake IDs slip through the crack but that the clerk was suspended for two weeks following this incident.
Pearlman credited the White Wing owners for being proactive in handling this issue and said even before notice of the hearing was sent out, they were already working toward resolving the issue.
Through conversations between White Wing owners and members of the Police Department involved they have started incorporating different ways of confirming identification including a book of valid American IDs and the purchasing of a brand-new ID scanner. Pearlman added the owners would be paying an additional monthly charge going forward to get updates for the scanner’s programming to adapt with the changes made in the fake ID world.
“Since that incident they have found at least 15 to 20 IDs and have taken them and confiscated them,” Pearlman said. “The word should be getting out that if you go to the store now with a fake ID, it’s being taken away and very possibly, there’s a police officer who’s going to take further action.”
In conclusion, Pearlman agreed a mistake was made and owned up to that but credited the owners of the liquor store for their involvement and care in resolving the issue.
“They just weren’t aware of fake IDs and what you can do and they proved that the police have now educated them as to what they can do and use,” Pearlman said.
Selectboard Chair Jeff Cyr asked Gundersen how officers typically dispose of fake ID cards, to which she said generally vendors will destroy them on the premise unless an officer is there with the person using the fake still on premises. Gundersen added the owners of White Wing were “swift” in their response to the problem.
Gundersen said she considered the incident to kick off these issues on the night of March 3 to all go in as one violation total against the store even with eight individuals being charged.
“It happened one time over a period of 45 minutes. That was quite the rush, and we were at the right place at the right time and we had a good reporting party,” Gundersen said. “I think that would be prudent and again, especially since your corrective action has been attempted.”
The Selectboard decided after the hearing to draft an official warning letter for the first offense for the hard liquor license policy violation.