Docs: Underage patrons allegedly paid Tempe Tavern bouncers to enter without ID
Records reveal repeated underage drinking citations at Tempe Tavern
An investigation into Tempe Tavern is revealing major problems, including hundreds of underage drinking citations and documents showing patrons allegedly paid bouncers a fee to skip ID checks. FOX 10's Megan Spector reports.
TEMPE, Ariz. - We are diving deeper into the records of a Tempe bar that has been under fire over allegations of underage drinking and its connection to a deadly hit-and-run.
The 252-page report from the ongoing Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control investigation into Tempe Tavern is raising questions about who is to blame and what is being done to stop underage drinking.
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What we know:
Records from the past two years document a string of citations for underage drinking and fake IDs at Tempe Tavern.
In a social media statement, the bar placed the blame on the fake IDs themselves, saying modern fake IDs are sophisticated and can pass a scan.
"I think they’re doing everything they need to do as far as the law is concerned," a customer said. "I think someone needs to crack down on whoever is making these IDs."
According to Arizona Department of Liquor documents, in several police citations, underage patrons stated they paid a cover charge at the door and then paid another fee to a bouncer that let them in the bar without showing an ID.
A concerned resident in the area said, "Yeah, they should be monitoring that. Underage drinking is still, for an establishment, really risky. You could lose your business. I would be paying really close attention to that if I were them."
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Dig deeper:
Several of the reports were tied to a bust in November where 246 individuals were cited for underage drinking and fake IDs, and three were booked into jail.
"I was sitting in the bar and there were a lot of people in here and the cops came in the front door, and they also sealed off the back door. And started taking IDs for people they didn’t think were over 21," a customer said.
That bust followed one in April that led to nearly 170 citations.
Records also note the Department of Liquor conducted separate undercover operations, leading to staff citations as well for accepting unauthorized IDs and serving minors.
Another customer said, "I don’t know where the problem lies. Does it lie with the bar? Does it lie with people making the equipment that checks the IDs? Or should somebody be cracking down on the people that make the IDs?"