Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/239386
Sarasota News Leader January 10, 2014 Page 83 CONVENIENCE STORE CLERKS CITED FOR SELLING ALCOHOL TO MINORS Eight local convenience store clerks were • Mobil, 3580 Clark Road, Sarasota. cited for selling alcohol to a minor during the most recent undercover operation con- • Palmer Market, 5300 Clark Road, Sarasota. ducted by the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office • 7-Eleven, 5420 Lockwood Ridge Road, Juvenile Alcohol Task Force (JATF) — on Sarasota. Dec. 30 — the Sheriff's Office has reported. • BP, 3605 Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota. Seven of the clerks were given a misdemeanor Notice to Appear (NTA), a news release says. • BP, 1660 Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota. In one case, a clerk was arrested for not hav- • Mobil, 2745 Beneva Road, Sarasota. ing legal identification and not fitting the criteria for an NTA to be issued, the release Another 10 businesses were found to be in compliance, the release notes. Each was sent notes. a letter to commend the owners and employThe following businesses were found to be in ees "for helping reduce the sale of alcohol to violation of selling alcohol to a person under minors," the release says. the age of 21: This was the third JATF operation con- • Marathon, 6212 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. ducted last year, resulting in a combined 29 store clerks being cited for selling alcohol to • 7-Eleven, 3156 Clark Road, Sarasota. minors, the release points out. SHERIFF'S OFFICE ASSUMES PARTIAL DISPATCH SERVICE FOR VENICE The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has notified the public that effective as of Jan. 2, its Public Safety Communications Center (PSC) will handle dispatch services for the Venice Police Department (VPD) from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., seven days a week. "City of Venice residents should continue to dial 911 for all emergency situations," a news release says. "Citizens should not notice a change in service, as 911 calls will be processed through the PSC instead of transferred to VPD," it adds. During the month of December, Sheriff's Office personnel worked with Venice personnel "to ensure a smooth transition of service," the release notes. (486-2444), the release points out. However, between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., calls to the non-emergency number will be redirected to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office. "There are a number of advantages to calling 911 in an emergency instead of a non-emergency number," the release explains. "The phone system automatically recognizes the call as an emergency and routes the caller to the primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for the county, which prevents a delay in service," it says. "In addition, 911 calls come into the PSC as a priority over non-emergency calls, and technology enables the PSC to immediately gather important data from landline and wireless phones." For all other calls, city of Venice residents A complete consolidation of 24-hour dispatch should continue to call the Venice Police service is expected by the middle of this year, Department's non-emergency number the release adds.