Barron County Sheriff's Department Conducts 22 Compliance Checks, Uncovers Violations

BARRON COUNTY — Barron County recently saw a comprehensive effort by law enforcement agencies, including the Barron County Sheriff’s Department, Wisconsin Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement, and the Barron County Community Coalition, aimed at safeguarding youth from the risks of alcohol and tobacco access. Conducting 22 rigorous compliance checks across the county's establishments, the operation uncovered several violations, including sales to underage individuals and licensing irregularities, according to a press release from the Barron County Sheriff’s Office.

Press Release

Over the past couple of weeks, with the assistance of the WI Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement and through a grant with the Barron County Community Coalition to keep kids safe, the Barron County Sheriff’s Department conducted 22 compliance checks across the county on alcohol and tobacco establishments. The purpose of this operation was to check establishments to make sure products are not sold to underage subjects - reducing the accessibility of these products to our youth. WI Alcohol and Tobacco also checked places for any state wide licensing issues. Out of the 22 locations, 4 businesses failed these checks for county ordinance violations:

1. Village Tobacco Shop, Rice Lake, sold tobacco/THC product to underage subject
2. Stump Lake Liquor, Rice Lake, sold tobacco to underage subject
3. Guilty Vibez, Barron, sold THC vape to underage subject
4. Ben and Maggie’s Town Pump, Cameron, served alcohol to underage subject

Also as a result of this joint operation, Ben and Maggie’s also did not have a licensed bartender and had illegally obtained alcohol from a non-licensed source on premise and was closed down for the night by WI Alcohol and Tobacco.

Guilty Vibez at the Barron and the Turtle Lake locations were also closed temporarily for inspection and searched by WI Alcohol and Tobacco and s substantial amount of product were
seized for:

1. Unauthorized transfer of cigarette/tobacco/vape products from one retail to another
2. Un-invoiced tobacco products
3. Obtaining untaxed vapor products from unauthorized source

The Barron County Sheriff’s Department, Turtle Lake Police Department, Cameron Police Department, Barron Police Department and WI Alcohol and Tobacco are continuing to
investigate these violations.

The Following locations passed the alcohol or tobacco checks:

1. Wal-Mart Liquor, Rice Lake
2. Azara Smoke and Vape, Rice Lake
3. Walgreens, Rice Lake
4. Mr. Bobs, Rice Lake
5. Northwoods Market, Rice Lake
6. 3rd Base Bar, Rice Lake
7. Bob and Steve’s BP, Cumberland
8. Family Dollar, Cumberland
9. Synergy, Cumberland
10. Synergy, Turtle Lake
11. The Get Go Bar, Turtle Lake
12. Synergy, Almena
13. BP, Cameron
14. B&B Bar, Chetek
15. Sassy’s, Chetek
16. Marathon Gas, Chetek
17. Whiskey Way, Chetek
18. Guilty Vibes, Turtle Lake

We are very pleased that a majority of our establishments passed our checks. We will work with the failed establishments on education efforts to make sure they understand the dangers of selling to our youth. It is everyone’s job across the county to keep our kids safe and with five proms and several other summer events around the corner this is a good reminder that together we can keep our kids safe.

We will continue to work with local police departments, state agencies and other partners over the summer on other prevention efforts including additional compliance checks, more education events and increased targeted patrol operations to keep our county safe.

— Per Chris Fitzgerald, Barron County Sheriff