On Wednesday, the Bogalusa Police Department conducted its Juvenile Underage Drinking Enforcement Program, funded by a grant provided by the Louisiana Highway Safety Council, in which 21 businesses were checked.

The BPD said it was “proud to announce” that the employees in all 21 businesses complied with Louisiana law and asked to see an ID to confirm the buyer’s age, and then refused to sell alcohol to the underage subject.

“We do checks on a regular basis,” Bogalusa Police Chief Kendall Bullen said. “This means people are doing their job and being aware. It means people are starting to comply with the law.

“Underage drinking is a problem across the country. A lot of people die in alcohol-related crashes. We want to keep our children safe.”

He noted that the BPD conducts several random checks a year, using different underage subjects.

“If they do sell to an underage person, an officer goes back later with a summons,” Bullen said.

In this case, all 21 businesses received notes from the BPD, thanking them for their cooperation.