Police cite 22 minors at local bar

Twenty-two underage drinkers were issued citations at Uncle Fester's and The Jungle Room early Thursday morning. Excise police and the IU Police Department were at the location to hand out the summonses.\n"We got involved after receiving numerous complaints about fights and intoxicated minors being a disturbance at the bar," said Travis Thickstun, an Indiana State Excise police officer.\nThickstun said the most common charges were minors consuming or possessing alcoholic beverages and loitering.\nIUPD Lt. Laury Flint said illegal consumption of alcohol is a Class C Misdemeanor. A person charged with a Class C Misdemeanor can be imprisoned for no more than 60 days and fined no more than $500.\nJunior Mike Israel was a bystander at the bar Thursday morning. \n"It was a regular night until I saw a couple of cops," Israel said. "Then they started flooding the place, blocked all of the exits and checked everyone's ID's." \nSeven fraudulent ID's were identified by police. \n"There is a plethora of false ID's that contribute to underage drinking," said IUPD Sgt. Don Schmuhl.\nIf someone is caught with fraudulent identification, that person could face the possibility of being charged with a misdemeanor.\nFlint said possession of a false or altered Indiana driver's license is classified as a Class C Misdemeanor.\nThe concern about false ID's has brought awareness to prevent their usage and manufacturing.\nThickstun said training programs are being offered to bar employees to train them on detecting fake ID's and informing them about alcoholic beverage laws.\n"The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles is becoming more concerned with the use of fraudulent driver licenses, and is running investigations on them," Schmuhl said. "Manufactures who produce fraudulent licenses are being investigated, and if found guilty, could be charged with a felony." \nPresenting false identification to a police officer can result in a citation or arrest. \n"If you are under the age of 21, you have to take on the responsibility of not going into a bar," Schmuhl said. "No. 1, it is against the law, and No. 2, establishments have increased ID checking," \nIsrael said he believes it would have made more sense for the bars to be checked in the fall or on the weekend when they are busier, rather than mid-week during the summer. \n"I understand why they are doing it," Israel said. "They are doing their job."\nPossible sanctions against Uncle Fester's, 430 E. Kirkwood Ave., and The Jungle Room, 420 E. Kirkwood Ave., could include a monetary fine or suspension of permit.\n-- Contact staff writer Daria Kamalipour at dkamalip@indiana.edu.