Tempe Police arrest 173 underage drinkers in 1 night during joint task force operation

TEMPE, Ariz. - A crackdown on underage drinking in Tempe led to 173 arrests with all the young adults now facing misdemeanor charges.  

All the 173 arrests came in one night. A massive bust at a popular Tempe bar is all a part of a new joint task force. 

Eight of the 173 were booked into Tempe City Jail.

The backstory:

Underage drinking has taken over Tempe bars such as the bustling Tempe Tavern. 

On Thursday, April 24, 173 underage drinkers between the ages of 18 and 20 were taken into custody. 

What they're saying:

"There were minors in consumption of alcohol. So underage drinking as well as fake IDs that were being used, which is what most of these kids used to get inside of that bar," said Officer Jessica Ells of the Tempe Police Department.  

The popular bar is located just blocks from ASU's campus and was quickly overtaken by the alcohol youth task force. 

It’s a joint effort with Tempe Police and the Department of Liquor License and Control. 

Police were tipped off after many complaints were filed against Tempe Tavern. 

"There is now a bigger investigation that goes into the actual bar themselves," said Ells. "If they were in compliance, if there were any liquor law violations." 

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Big picture view:

Tempe Police took to social media to let people know they were not there to ruin their night, just to keep them safe.

The misdemeanor charges don't necessarily impact the young adults forever. 

"They have the option to take those classes, get diversion and have this cleaned off from their records. So really, it's just to teach them to wait to drink until you're 21," said Ells. 

What's next:

This was the second operation by the Alcohol Youth Task Force. 

Tempe Police expect more operations to come.