Sgt. Jose Saures, officer in charge for COPS, or Community Oriented Policing Section, told the Variety yesterday that the community and the Department of Public Safety should be consulted before considering such proposals.
He said a lot of young people are out at night especially on weekends, and some establishments are serving and selling alcohol to minors without asking for proper identification.
“We need to see how extending the sale of alcohol for more hours can affect the community,” Saures said.
“We have lots of problems with our young people now, with drugs and alcohol. Add a couple more hours and imagine what more can these kids do,” he said.
Extending by two more hours the present cut-off time to sell alcoholic beverages “may bring more damage instead of good,” he added.
Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Doug Brennan believes that the current 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. cut off time in the sale of alcoholic beverages is “fine.”
“An extension of hours may bring in more revenue for the stores and adult establishments, but we need to look into what good would this extended time would give to the community,” Brennan said.
“Besides, how many bars are actually open until 4 a.m.? he added.
Chamber vice president Jim Arenovski said while allowing adult establishments to continue selling alcoholic beverages until 4 a.m. and stores to sell alcoholic beverages until 12 midnight may result in more revenue, there is a need to consider the “social costs” that the CNMI may have to pay in the end.
House Bill 17-27, which Rep. Joseph M. Palacios, R-Saipan, sponsored, will extend the hours of selling alcoholic beverages to 12 midnight in stores and 4 a.m. at adult establishments every Friday and Saturday, and the day before all legal holidays.
