Subscribe to RSSSupermarket Caught In Alcohol Blitz
A unnamed major South Auckland supermarket has been caught in a police blitz on alcohol sales on Friday night, as part of a wide police alcohol operation.
A big concern on the night turned out to be sales to minors and other breaches of licence.
One off licence was found selling outside its licensed hours, and five intoxicated patrons were found in another hotel compliance check.
Counties Manukau Police had 15 teams conducting simultaneous controlled purchase operations and surprisingly “one major new supermarket” failed.
Police say the manager had authorised the sale. This is likely to result in a five day suspension of alcohol sales at the supermarket and a one month suspension of the manager’s certificate.
The news was better as for drink driving.
Less than one percent of the 31,777 drivers stopped on Friday night and tested for alcohol were over the limit.
200 drivers were caught, in the nationwide alcohol blitz, which was also mirrored across the Tasman.
The highest breath test reported was 1046mg. This was recorded in Wairoa.
The blitz was wider than just drink driving.
Alcohol related arrests for assaults were down on the night - 127 compared with 206 for the same time period last year.
All sales made in a failed controlled purchase operation will have applications for suspension or cancellation made to the Liquor Licensing Authority.
The stats:
- a total of 31,777 drivers stopped and breath tested of which 186 tested positive for alcohol (less than one percent)
- 41 drivers elected blood tests which will be sent for analysis
- 472 other offences were detected at checkpoints. These included warrants to arrest, no warrants of fitness , no registration or other miscellaneous offences
- 765 hotels and licensed premises checked
- 107 breaches of the Sale of Liquor Act
- 68 arrests for breaches of liquor bans
- 230 warnings for liquor ban breaches
- 23 liquor infringements notices (LINs) issued to under 18 year olds
- 34 (LINS) warnings given to under 18s
- 286 Controlled Purchase Operations run to check if alcohol would be sold to under age young people, of which 30 failed. These will result in applications for suspension of licence or cancellation in some cases.
- 1 arrest for dangerous driving after a driver backed out of a checkpoint in Wellington
1 Comments
Good stuff. Should be running this much more often - often we don’t need harder laws, just more enforcement of what is already illegal.
“Suprised” at the level of liquor licensing breaches, but hopefully we will end up with a few bottle stores less in the deal.