City of Reedsburg Retailers Pass Compliance Checks

(Reedsburg, WI) - An underage customer walks into a local bar or store and tries to buy alcohol with no identification or a fake ID. Do local retailers sell to youth? This test is called an alcohol age compliance check, and these checks have been proven to reduce sales of alcohol to minors.

In coordination with the Reedsburg Police Department, the Sauk County Partnership for Prevention coalition conducted alcohol age compliance checks within the City of Reedsburg in July of 2025. Establishments were informed in advance about coming alcohol compliance checks and were given information about correctly reading IDs when selling alcohol. During the checks, individuals who were younger than the legal drinking age of 21 went into businesses around the city to purchase alcohol. The checks resulted in zero sales to minors, for a compliance rate of 100%.
Patrick B. Cummings, Chief of Police for the City of Reedsburg, is celebrating this win: “With these checks, we reached our goal of 100% compliance. We’ll continue to partner with Public Health Sauk County’s Partnership for Prevention coalition to provide guidance and resources to retailers in Reedsburg so we can maintain this rate of success. We congratulate all the businesses checked for passing.”

Public Health Sauk County Health Educator Kate Hansen, who facilitates the Partnership for Prevention coalition, expressed thanks, “On behalf of the Sauk County Partnership for Prevention Coalition, we thank alcohol retailers for their commitment to the safe sale of alcohol in Reedsburg. The 100% compliance rate shows that the retailers in the city who we checked are safely conducting alcohol sales.”

Hansen explained that when retailers and the community work together to keep alcoholic beverages out of the hands of youth, retailers reduce their risk to alcohol liability lawsuits and help reduce problems associated with underage drinking, such as addiction, auto accidents, vandalism, violence, and sexual assault. “Retailers and their employees have the power to help protect our youth from the unhealthy effects of early alcohol use,” Hansen said.

Compliance checks are only one part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce youth access to alcohol. The Sauk County Partnership for Prevention coalition meets to reduce and prevent youth use of alcohol and vapes. Meetings are open to the public and all are welcome. For more information about the Sauk County Partnership for Prevention or to join the coalition, visit their website at www.P4PSauk.org.
 

Contact:
Patrick B. Cummings, Chief of Police
(608) 524-2376

Kate Hansen, Coalition Facilitator
(608) 477-3609
Kate.hansen@saukcountywi.gov

Posted July 28, 2025

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