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In late May, four Washington Parish businesses were cited by the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office for selling alcohol to juveniles. Fifteen area businesses were visited as part of a statewide effort known as JUDE (Juvenile Underage Drinking Enforcement). A subsequent JUDE operation on July 1 found four additional businesses that sold alcohol to a minor, according to WPSO Chief Criminal Deputy Mike Haley.

On July 29, the WPSO once again conducted a JUDE operation by using a juvenile to attempt to buy alcohol at 23 parish business establishments. Only one parish business sold alcohol to a juvenile on July 29, Haley said.

A clerk at Chevron on Highway 21 in Varnado was cited for selling to an underage customer. This was the second offense for that business in a period of less than three months, with the first citation being issued in late May, Haley said.

Four parish businesses that previously sold alcohol to a juvenile were revisited during the July 29 operation. Those four businesses requested proper identification and refused to sell alcohol to the juvenile, Haley said.

“Out of 23 businesses visited on July 29, only one sold alcohol to a minor,” Washington Parish Sheriff Randy Seal said. “While that is a low percentage, it is still one too many. The vast majority of parish business establishments, which are licensed to sell alcohol, do so in a responsible manner. I congratulate them and their clerks for demonstrating integrity and honesty.”