DeKALB | DeKalb Police conducted a tobacco compliance check of local retailers Sept. 29 and 30.

Police said the checks are performed to determine if local tobacco retailers are complying with laws such as those prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors.

Police inspected 42 tobacco retailers. The Huka Corner, 811 W. Lincoln Highway, and White Hen Pantry, 802 S. Fourth St., violated the law by selling tobacco to a minor, DeKalb Police said in a statement. Retailers in violation of the law face a fine between $150 and $500 based on the discretion of a judge, DeKalb Police Lt. Carl Leoni said.

DeKalb Police received a grant from the Illinois Liquor Control Commission’s “Kids Can’t Buy ‘Em Here” Tobacco Enforcement Program to educate retailers in the area on tobacco laws and also to conduct more compliance checks, said Leoni, who conducted the checks.

“We explained to [retailers] that the idea is to form a partnership to keep people under 18 from buying cigarettes,” Leoni said.

Leoni said that as part of the compliance check, police find underage persons to try to buy cigarettes from retailers.

“We get kids that are 16 or 17, usually children of city employees,” Leoni said.Leoni pointed out that enforcement of tobacco laws helps the community in a variety of ways.

“If you can keep cigarettes out of the hands of youths, you’re cutting health care costs and stopping complaints,” Leoni said.

Kenneth Lowe is the Police and Fire Reporter for the Northern Star.