CRIME PREVENTION CONDUCTS "TOBACCO STING"

El Paso County Sheriff's Office

3850 Justice Dr. El Paso, Texas 79938

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Deputy Jesse Tovar / Public Information Officer 

Direct: (915) 538-2223

Pager: (915) 533-0733 (#5370)

EMAIL: jtovar@epcounty.com

Release Date & Time: Friday, August 15, 2008 5:30 PM

WHO: El Paso County Sheriff's Office (CRIME PREVENTION)

WHAT: “Tobacco Sting”

WHERE: El Paso County, Texas

WHEN: Wednesday, August 13, 2008

WHY: Crackdown on stores that sell cigarettes or tobacco products to someone who is younger than 18 years of age.

Information: 

On 08-13-08, the El Paso County Sheriff's Deputies from the Crime Prevention Section conducted compliance inspections, and followed this up with compliance testing.

Reducing a minor’s access to tobacco products is the ultimate goal of the planned controlled buy enforcement process.

An undercover officer accompanied a minor decoy (Sheriff’s Explorer) into 25 permitted retail establishment to test for compliance with Health & Safety Code 161.082 (Sale of cigarettes or tobacco products to persons younger than 18 years of age prohibited: Proof of age required).

During the operation, Deputies conducted unannounced inspections in several retail establishments. The sting operations are conducted throughout the year with no prior warnings by the Sheriff’s Office.

Despite all the known risks about smoking and the landmark 1998 promise by Big Tobacco companies not to target children under 18, each day 2,00 Americans aged 12-17 become regular smokers. The Sheriff’s Office saw a dramatic increase during this undercover operation and encourages the community to get involved when witnessing illegal sales of tobacco products to minors.

Take Action!

• If you are witnessing cigarette sales to minor’s in El Paso County, please immediately call the non-emergency phone number at your local enforcement agency.
• Voice your opinion to store managers and owners, either in writing or in person. Suggest they limit the amount of tobacco advertising in and near their stores, and request that they remove tobacco advertising within children’s view, including away from the candy displays and any place three feet or below.
• Ask managers and owners to place all tobacco products, including chew and cigars, behind the counter and away from children’s hands and eyes

“The El Paso County Sheriff's Office commends those retail establishments that were in full compliance. “We will continue to conduct compliance inspections and undercover operations and issue citations to the clerks who fail to follow the strict guidelines when it comes to purchasing tobacco by children younger than 18 years old.” We commend the retailers who obey the law and have made a difference in our community said Sergeant Louie Medina. The El Paso County Sheriff's Office offers “Compliance Education for Tobacco Retailers and Merchants”

Any retailer who is interested in receiving free training can contact Sgt Louie Medina at 915-921-5150.

The establishments who failed the “Tobacco Sting,” can face a class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.00.

CITED RETAILER(S)

08/13/08

End of News Release

  The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office in March of 2001 was the first Sheriff’s Office in the State of Texas to be Internationally Accredited from CALEA and is now the recipient of the First CALEA Tri-Arc award in Texas (4^th in the Nation) to have accreditations in: Law Enforcement, Communications, Training Academy.