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Deputies target clerks selling liquor to minors
by Lindsey Collom - Jul. 5, 2008 09:25 PM
The Arizona Republic

More than a week after an operation to target illegal immigrants, Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies on Saturday once again zeroed-in on Mesa.

This time, the target was store clerks who sold liquor to underage buyers.

Deputies booked eight people into the Fourth Avenue Jail on suspicion of selling alcohol to minors. Two other clerks were cited for failing to ask for identification.
Of the eight arrested, one clerk was also suspected of being in the country illegally.

The six-hour operation Saturday focused on 31 convenience stores across Mesa. During the sting, deputies also made five traffic-related arrests, two of which involved illegal immigrants, Sheriff Joe Arpaio said.

The Sheriff's Office previously has conducted similar operations countywide. Arpaio said Mesa was targeted after his office "received intelligence" about illegal liquor sales in the city.

He also said his office "picked Mesa because of the proximity to lakes and rivers," which are popular destinations over the July Fourth weekend.

Arpaio rebuffed any attempts by reporters to link the operation to the simmering tension between him and Mesa Police Chief George Gascón, who recently referred to Arpaio's "crime suppression sweep" in Mesa as a publicity stunt.

Arpaio responded at the time, saying he was doing a job that Gascón refuses to do.

Sheriff deputies arrested 72 people in Mesa during "Operation Ghost" on June 26 and 27. The controversial crime sweep led to the arrests of 28 undocumented immigrants and 21 suspects under warrant, a Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said. The warrants ranged from driving on a suspended license to forgery.

On Wednesday, Mesa police unveiled a new immigration-enforcement policy requiring that everyone arrested in the city be asked about their immigration status. The new policy is expected to take effect after a four-month training period for police and legal staff.

www.azcentral.com