-
Hartwell Chief of Police Anthony Davis .
Underage drinking is a serious problem in the state of Georgia, and its one that Hartwell Police Chief Anthony Davis takes seriously.
Recently, Davis received a complaint from a local parent about underage drinking and vaping and immediately reached out to the Georgia Department of Revenue’s Division of Alcohol and Tobacco (DOR).
Davis said he contacted DOR within an hour of receiving the complaint from the concerned parent.
“From the time I contacted them, until the time they arrived in Hartwell to perform compliance checks was about two weeks,” Davis said.
Davis spoke to The Sun earlier this week and said DOR came in and performed compliance checks across the entire county on March 12.
The Alcohol & Tobacco Division of the Department of Revenue regularly conducts investigations concerning the sale of alcoholic beverages to persons under the age of 21. These investigations are generally conducted in partnership with local law enforcement agencies.
In a letter to Chief Davis dated April 1, DOR stated that “all retail and restaurant establishments with an alcohol license within the city were examined. None of the establishments were found in violation of underage sales.”
“They went in every store in the city, and nobody sold anything to anyone underage,” Davis said. “That made me happy.”
Davis stated it had been over three years since the last time DOR caught an establishment through a random compliance check.
Regarding alcohol, DOR states more than 150 youth die each year from alcohol-related causes which can cause serious brain damage in Georgia’s youth.
Davis said Hartwell’s clean record through this compliance check is a testament to everyone in the city working together.
“Hartwell is a great city, and people are working together to do what they are supposed to do,” Davis said. “The local merchants who own their own stores are really talking to their employees and saying, ‘Hey, ID them.’”
Davis says when his police department calls DOR to perform compliance, he doesn’t want to know about it.
“When I call them, I tell them I don’t want to know when you’re coming or what date or what time,” Davis said. “Just come and do what you gotta do and then give me the outcome. “Everyone thinks you got friends, and you’re going to give someone the heads up. I don’t want to know. All I’m doing is contacting you and telling you I’ve got a complaint.”
Davis said DOR also conducted a compliance check throughout Hart County as well.
On Monday, The Sun spoke with Hart County Sheriff’s Captain Chris Carroll who confirmed no county establishments were found in violation of underage sales.
Davis stressed that compliance investigators were still investigating underage vaping in Hart County.
“They’re still working on the vaping deal,” Davis said. “We have a big problem selling these underage people these vapes.”
DOR states nearly 25% of High School students smokers and an additional 8% use smokeless tobacco products.
Davis said the original complainant was adamant about the vaping problem in Hartwell and there were two stores they were looking at.
“It’s real bad with the vapes right now,” Davis said. “That is worse than the alcohol sales.”
While Davis is relieved that Hartwell had zero violations for underage alcohol sales, he stated that the work is still not done.
“There are some that slip through the cracks,” Davis said. “I got this complaint some kind of way.”