Cops in Shops is a program designed by the Century Council, a national not-for-profit organization funded by distillers. Under the program, local police officers work undercover in participating retail locations. Law enforcement officials either pose as store employees or are positioned outside the establishment to apprehend adults who attempt to purchase alcohol for underage drinkers.

Last summer, 211 people were arrested through the Cops in Shops summer program. This summer, 31 Shore police departments are participating in the Cops in Shops program, with approximately $61,000 in funding provided by the Division of Highway Traffic Safety.

In addition, 27 police departments, as well as the Gloucester County Prosecutors’ Office, are running year-round Cops in Shops programs and/or Undercover Operations beginning this summer, using funding provided by the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Penalties for underage drinking include stiff fines and the loss of a driver’s license for six months.

If you have been affected by a lapse of judgment and need an attorney, contact the attorneys at Garces & Grabler for an experienced defense attorney in New Jersey. Seven convenient law offices: Trenton, New Brunswick, Newark, Elizabeth, Perth Amboy, Freehold, Plainfield.