Underage drinking bust: 249 arrested at Tempe bar

Almost 250 people were arrested for underage drinking at Tempe Tavern, and it’s not the first time the bar had a major police sweep. FOX 10’s Megan Spector has the latest on whether the bar could have its license suspended.

TEMPE, Ariz. – A law enforcement sting operation led to 249 arrests in one night at Tempe Tavern for underage drinking, fake IDs and giving false information.

The backstory:

A major law enforcement sting operation at a Tempe tavern led to 249 arrests in one night for underage drinking, fake IDs, and giving false information to officers.

By the numbers:

Tempe Police released video of the sweep, which took place Nov. 20. Out of the 249 arrests, 246 individuals were cited and released. Three people were booked into the Tempe City Jail.

Why you should care:

The violations have prompted questions about the bar’s responsibility in the incident.

The Tempe Police Department is leading the criminal investigation. However, whether the bar itself will be cited is being decided by the Arizona Department of Liquor License and Control (ADLLC).

What they’re saying:

A bartender at the establishment said on Nov. 22 that the manager was not present and that the bar would not be commenting on the situation.

The ADLLC investigations lieutenant said the department will not be making any decisions on sanctions until after Tempe Police finish their investigation. However, a liquor license suspension and other fines are a possibility.

The lieutenant said that the ADLLC takes everything into consideration when making a decision, including the fact that this is not the first time police have conducted a sweep at this bar.

Dig deeper:

In April, 167 arrests were made at the same tavern for the same reasons. The bar management posted to Facebook the following month, stating that neither the bar nor its employees received citations from the liquor board or Tempe Police from that prior incident.

The use of fake IDs is a factor acknowledged by the bar in its social media post after the April sweep, which stated that the bar scans 100% of the IDs being shown, but that some fraudulent IDs can still successfully pass a scan. This raises the question whether the bar is doing everything required to check if an identification is real or not.

What’s next:

The fate of the bar is now pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.

The Source: This information was provided by the Tempe Police Department.

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