By Jennifer Marino
A machine that scans the bar codes on various forms of identification to show that they're valid and the person is the age he or she claims to be is gaining popularity on Long Island. The ID scanners can already be found in many bars in Manhattan. The prevailing belief among bar owners and managers is that the devices keep underage kids out and protect business owners from having their liquor licenses revoked.
"We use it on everyone that walks in the place, whether they look 15 or 50," said Dean Miller, the bartender and manager of Croxley Ales in Franklin Square. Out-of-state licenses were one of the reasons the bar decided to get the machine. It's hard for the staff to recognize fake IDs, according to Miller. One of the easiest to forge, until recently, was New Jersey's driver's license, a laminated piece of paper with few distinguishing details. In 2003, however, the state began issuing licenses with digital photos and several security features.
One of the leading makers of the ID scanning technology is Intelli-check Inc. of Woodbury. Its machines read the bar codes or magnetic strips on the back of licenses, revealing on a small screen whether the identification meets age requirements for alcohol and tobacco and whether the license is expired. The devices close a lot of the loopholes exploited by teenagers, from using completely fake IDs to tampering with the dates on a real license to using an older relative's or friend's expired license.
Matt McBride and Anthony Geraci, owners of Kasey's American Grille and Madison Hall, in Rockville Centre, have one of the machines in Madison Hall and are looking to get one of the newer, smaller models to use at Kasey's. They have found that the machine does its job. The technology costs between $500 and $700, and can cost more if extra software is purchased. The machine can be equipped, for example, to read international identification, and similar technology is used at airports to read passports and other identification.
"The machine is foolproof," said Mike Johnson, owner and manager of Harry Burke's in Rockville Centre, but he added, "Kids keep on trying." Having the ID scanner shows the authorities that you're doing your best, said Johnson. The only loophole is if an underage kid uses a valid license that isn't his, but most bar owners said that their security staff still looks at the license photo, not solely relying on the machine. Generally, the machine works as a deterrent, and kids don't even try.
At a recent meeting with bar owners, police and inspectors from the State Liquor Authority, Rockville Centre Village Administrator Ron Wasson encouraged bar owners to invest in the ID scanners. As a former New York City police officer, Wasson has seen that the machines offer the best protection to both kids and bar owners.
Besides keeping teenagers out, the machines also help business owners. Depending on the model and the software used in conjunction with it, the machine can store the information from identification that has been swiped or scanned, providing business owners with a defense if police or the State Liquor Authority raid an establishment. The machine can offer proof that everyone inside the bar showed valid identification. Without the machine, proving that an underage person showed identification is harder. If a patron says she didn't show identification, the police cannot search her.
Detective Lt. Kevin Smith, of the Nassau County Police Department, was not familiar with the machines, but felt that anything that helps keep kids from drinking would be a good thing. "It couldn't hurt," he said. Smith said he'd like to see stores that sell beer and liquor use the machines, too, adding that many kids drink on the street if they're too young to get into bars. He also mentioned that having an altered license is a felony.
Some bars with generally older crowds don't see a need for the machines. Russo, of the Purple Frog, said they usually don't have underage kids trying to get in the bar, and "if there's a question, we double-proof." She's been a bartender for 18 years, and said the rest of the staff has years of experience too, so they know all the tricks. Russo used to work at Bogarts, near Hofstra University, and she said they had the ID scanners because they needed them.
