In light of recent citations issued at the Kollege Klub and Stillwaters bars, concerns have arisen that the Madison Police Department may step up its presence at bars in order to deter underage drinkers.

However, officials say Stillwaters and Kollege Klub were targets of a random bust.

In general, the city of Madison has been lax in enforcing the 21-year-old drinking age, say certain city officials.

“The city has been more than fair and reasonable when dealing with underage drinking at the bars,” Ald. Tim Bruer, District 14, said.

Sgt. Emil Quast of the MPD previously told the Badger Herald these two bars had not been working to their full capacity to deter underage drinkers from frequenting their establishments.

“Unfortunately, we have licensed establishments that place profit in front of the safety of their patrons,” Bruer said.

Despite recent crackdowns, the city does not wish to step up its patrolling to catch underage drinkers and they are more concerned with creating safe and enjoyable entertainment venues, officials said.

“There are a lot more pressing issues of public safety downtown, than to have officers card kids at the bars,” Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said.

Bar operators say they think a crackdown on the bars would push kids to house parties, which are generally considered more dangerous.

“The bars are the safest venue for socializing and drinking,” said Dick Lyshek, owner of Bullfeathers, 303 N. Henry St. “It is sheer foolishness to push the kids out of the safe environment of the bar into the house parties.”

Dean Hetue, manager of the Plaza Bar and Grill, 319 N. Henry St., also shared these feelings.

“I would rather have these kids in the tavern where I can supervise them than house parties where it is unsupervised and can be much more dangerous,” Hetue said.

Some alders say they feel the police department does not need to be aggressive in its attempt to push underagers from the bars.

“It is a frivolous use of the police department’s limited resources to look for underage drinkers,” Lyshek said. “It is against a common accepted behavior by young adults.”

Verveer agreed.

“Underage enforcement in the bars should be the lowest of the low on the list of concerns,” Verveer said.

Yet some bar owners feel more comfortable with the efforts of the beat cops rather than seeing a new policy implemented. Hetue said he feels the two police officers who work the bar beat on the weekend should continue to make their presence known.

“I’d rather have beat cops come on a regular basis to deter underage drinkers,” Hetue said.

Attempts to contact the MPD about the issue were unsuccessful.

The bars said they feel they are doing a valid attempt to check for fake ids, but it becomes more difficult as the ids get better and better. Bar owners interviewed said bouncers do not always have the luxury to spend a couple minutes examining each id because they are attempting to keep the line moving.

Bruer said bars do not always make such an honest attempt at keeping underagers out, but the city is usually lax in enforcing this policy.

“If the city wanted to get serious and crackdown, likely one third of licensed city establishments would be shut down,” Bruer said. “Bars hire young males who are more interested in scoring a date or maintaining the profit margin.”

Officials said the occurrence at the KK and Stillwaters was likely an isolated incident, but a stronger show of police force at bars is still possible.