EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Preventing alcohol-related tragedies in Texas takes more than just law enforcement after the fact — it requires coordination between state regulators and the bars serving customers every day, officials and business owners say.
“It comes down to accountability at the end of the day because the bars are doing their parts,” said Rico Velez, owner of Dewey’s Corner Pub.
In Texas, oversight of alcohol service starts with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the state agency that regulates the alcohol industry. TABC handles licensing and enforcement and conducts inspections, undercover operations and investigations, particularly in cases involving minors or DWI crashes. When a serious crash happens, TABC can work alongside local law enforcement to determine where a person was served and whether laws were broken…