For the eighth year, the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office has received state money to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors.
The $24,200 "Cops-in-Shops" grant funds officers' positioning inside and near participating liquor stores to observe transactions, in hope of scouting out underage buyers purchasing alcohol or adults buying for minors.
In the last seven years, officers - sometimes undercover or hidden - have arrested 353 people on 518 charges.
The program was started in 1996 and is a cooperative effort by the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control and Division of Highway Traffic Safety. - Angelo Fichera
