Sports Arena Gets Tough on Alcohol Sales to Minors

Faced with fistfights, illegal gambling, smuggled whiskey and the reselling of beer to minors, Sports Arena officials will toughen policies on alcohol sales at the 15,000-seat arena, especially during rock concerts.

The crackdown comes, in part, from the increased number of minors arrested for alcohol consumption at recent rock concerts, said San Diego Police Sgt. Thomas Giaquinto of the department’s vice squad.

Vendors will make “a more deliberate scrutiny” of beer customers’ identification, asking that I.D. cards be handed to them so they can be examined under a flashlight for signs of tampering, said George Karetas, president of Premier Food Services, the arena’s food concessionaire.

“Our personnel are getting pretty good at spotting I.D. cards that are fake or that have been tampered with,” Karetas said. “The thing we hope to accomplish is to have everybody understand that we will not tolerate obviously intoxicated people on the premises or minors in possession of alcoholic beverages.”

Other steps to be taken, starting with tonight’s concert by singer Luther Vandross, include:

- Eliminating beer sales in 32-ounce containers. A customer will be able to buy only one cup of beer at a time, the largest being 24 ounces.

- The security force will be doubled for certain events--such as concerts by “heavy metal” rock groups--where problems have occurred.

“At some events there will be a minimum of 48 security guards placed in strategic areas,” said Vincent Ciruzzi, president of San Diego Entertainment Inc., the arena operator. “And there will also be undercover vice officers and guards posted at the beer stands.

“While it is not appropriate to comment on groups of people, certain events attract a different element,” Ciruzzi said. “The heavy metal shows tend to attract a lower age group, a group that is a little more rowdy, and that has a tendency for the adults to provide beer to the younger kids.”

- Security patrols and ushers will stop anyone with a drink who does not appear to be at least 21 years old. They also will be watching for adults who buy beer for underage friends, a frequent problem, Ciruzzi said.

- Guards will confiscate any alcoholic beverage brought into the arena and will refuse entrance to anyone who is already intoxicated. Alcoholic beverages will also be prohibited in the parking lots.

Giaquinto said 48 minors were arrested for alcohol consumption at a Dec. 31 concert by the rock group Ratt; 36 minors were arrested at a Feb. 3 Rush concert, and 9 minors were arrested at a Feb. 10 Kiss concert. There also have been arrests at events where adults predominate, Giaquinto said.

“Each type of event presents a different type of problem,” Giaquinto said. “With a wrestling crowd, even though it is mostly adults, people will get drunk and rather boisterous. At rock concerts we think we have an I.D. problem and we have taken steps to deal with it.”

Although information about juvenile arrests has been turned over to the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Department, Giaquinto said that Premier Food Services is probably not in jeopardy of losing its liquor license.