Unstung heroes is a collaborative effort between the Saratoga Partnership for Prevention and area law enforcement agencies to publicly recognize businesses that refuse to sell alcohol to minors. Periodically, law enforcement agencies in Saratoga Springs and the surrounding areas conduct Underage Sales Compliance Checks to make sure that local establishments ID their patrons appropriately and refuse sales to those under 21. To do this, they hire students aged 18 or 19, usually studying law enforcement or some other related field. It's the students' job to enter specific establishments, present their personal ID, and try to buy beer. The students are chosen carefully so that they don't look older than they actually are, and they use their own IDs -- which state clearly that they are underage and have not been altered in any way.
The names of businesses that refuse to sell to a minor are forwarded by the participating law enforcement agencies to Partnership staff, who then send letters of congratulations and Certificates of Appreciation to the "Unstung Heroes."
Businesses that do sell alcohol illegally are cited for Unlawfully Dealing with a Child and/or Unlawful Sale to a Minor. Through the court system, many of the servers are referred to the Partnership to sign up for a TIPS course as a condition of their sentence. Often before their court hearing, these businesses also receive letters from Partnership staff, inviting them to participate in a TIPS training. This cross-referencing of the TIPS program with law enforcement organizations not only gives the TIPS server training more credibility, it also boosts the Partnership's visibility and credibility.
Research has shown that similar messages being sent by various sectors of a community have a much stronger impact than if they were sent by one sector alone. The Saratoga Springs Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Saratoga County District Attorney's Office all deserve credit for being open to these collaborative relationships, and for making prevention as important a part of their business as punishment.