A large underage drinking enforcement operation at Tempe Tavern on Thursday night led to 249 arrests, according to the Tempe Police Department.
The coordinated sweep began around 9:45 p.m. at the bar near McClintock Drive and Apache Boulevard. Tempe police deployed 57 officers from patrol, night traffic and bike squads, with support from Homeland Security Investigations and the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control (DLLC).
Police said the action followed repeated community complaints about underage drinking at the establishment. Those arrested face allegations ranging from possession of fake IDs to underage intoxication and providing false information. Of the 249 people detained, 246 were cited and released; three were booked into jail.
DLLC will take the lead on any administrative liquor-law violations involving the bar.
This is not the first large-scale enforcement effort at Tempe Tavern. A compliance check in April resulted in 173 arrests, most of them citations.
Tempe police said they hope the latest operation underscores the ongoing risks of underage drinking and the department’s continued focus on compliance at local bars.
