Three Starkville bars, including two in the Cotton District, are currently in hot water for selling alcohol to minors. 
The Mississippi Attorney General’s Alcohol & Tobacco Enforcement Division completed a compliance check on Oct. 19. According to a press release provided by the Office of the Mississippi Attorney General, a total of 12 minor in possession citations were issued at three Starkville bars.
Seven were given at Casa Bravo, located on MS-12, four were given at Drifters and one was given at Gringo’s.
Joseph Campbell, the manager of Gringo’s, said he witnessed the incident that resulted in the minor in possession citation at his bar.
“At first, I was wondering if he had been ID’d at all,” Campbell said. “Then I asked the workers if they had, they said they had. He had an ID that said he was 21, so I’m assuming that was a fake and they just didn’t realize it.”
In addition to the MIP citations, Drifters also had two patrons caught with fake identification.
However, four Starkville establishments did not receive any citations during the compliance check: STAGgerIn and the Klassroom, both located in the Cotton District, Buffalo Wild Wings on MS-12 and La Terraza, located on Eckford Drive.
Bin 612, a popular bar and late-night eatery in the Cotton District, was neither cited on Oct. 19 nor mentioned in the press release. The manager of Bin 612, Zach Smith, said the reason his bar was not cited in the roundup was due to the extra precautions they put into place.
“I’m not sure what they (Drifters and Gringo’s) do differently,” Smith said. “We train our security staff to check IDs. We don’t allow underage kids in here. We turn away fakes, and work with the Starkville police.”
While the Starkville Police Department did not carry out the compliance check on Oct. 19, Public Information Officer G. Brandon Lovelady said the SPD uses proactive measures to combat underage drinking around the city.
“Not only can our uniform officers write citations on the spot if they observe something that needs to be cited, but we do periodic plain clothes enforcement operations,” Lovelady said.
In addition, officer Lovelady said the SPD works closely with the Mississippi Alcoholic Beverage Control, which provides local businesses with training on how to recognize fake ID’s and the proper protocols for serving alcohol.
Katie Dugger, a 19-year-old sophomore business administration major from Carrolton, said she personally does not have a fake ID.
“If I come (to the Cotton District), I come before they start IDing,” Dugger said. “I don’t drink in these bars at all, because I wouldn’t want to get anybody else in trouble.”
According to the Mississippi Attorney General Office, individuals who receive a citation and are convicted for minor in possession and fake ID face a fine between $200 and $500 and must complete up to 30 days of community service.