| Nature of Incident: |
Camarillo Tobacco Products Retailer Compliance Check |
| Report Number: |
|
| Location: |
Camarillo, Ca |
| Date & Time: |
Monday March 14, 2022 |
| Unit(s) Responsible: |
Camarillo Police, Camarillo Community Resources Unit |
| Narrative: |
On March 14, 2022, the Camarillo Police Department Community Resources Unit conducted a multi-location tobacco products compliance check in the City of Camarillo. Compliance checks were conducted at seventeen different locations in the city of Camarillo. The businesses were tested using a decoy under the age of 21, supervised by undercover deputies, to determine whether retailers would sell nicotine or tobacco products to the decoys without checking for identification. The compliance check was in response to complaints received by concerned parents in addition to the on-going efforts to educate retailers on the risks of selling to underage subjects.
Three of the seventeen locations did not request identification and sold nicotine products to the underage decoy. The clerks who made the sale were cited for Penal Code 308(a)(1)(a)(i) – Sale of Tobacco products to underage person. Those locations were:
Old Town Cigars at 2173 Ventura Blvd.
West End Cigars at 459 Carmen Dr.
Cheers Market and Liquor at 4992 Verdugo Way
Tobacco and nicotine related addictions are a prevalent and a serious problem with the youth in our community today. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and the Camarillo Police Department are committed to the health and wellbeing of the youth in our community and will continue to proactively enforce laws prohibiting the sale of these products to people under the age of 21. If you have information about a local retailer in the city that is supplying nicotine or tobacco products to underage buyers, please report it to the Camarillo Police Community Resource Unit at 805-388-5155.
|
| Prepared by: |
Deputy Jason Pallotto |
|
| News Release Date: |
Tuesday March 15, 2022 |
|
| Media Follow-Up Contact: |
Senior Deputy Victor Holmes 805-388-5131 |
|
Approved by:
Booking Photo Release: |
Captain Shane Matthews
YES NO |
|
| |
|
|
|
