Daily Staff Writer

As part of the continuing effort to deter minors from purchasing alcohol, an undercover Ames police officer posed as an employee last evening at a local grocery store.

Four people were cited for minor in possession and one was cited for providing alcohol to minors at Hy-Vee Food Stores. The rouse was part of the Ames Police Department’s Cops in Shops program.

Cops in Shops is a federally funded program that the APD has been running in various Ames stores that sell alcohol, Police Chief Dennis Ballantine said. During the operation, one officer will pose as an employee inside the store, and another will remain outside the store.

Either of the officers can cite an individual. Most often the citations are for minor in possession of alcohol and providing alcohol to minors.

Ballantine said the program will continue randomly. The program is highly publicized in Ames, Ballantine said. “We haven’t tried to keep this a secret.”

Many of the participating stores display posters that inform customers that police officers could be posing as employees.

QuickTrip and Kwik Shop are two other stores that have participated in the program.