TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Police Department is cracking down on underage drinking and fake IDs.
Friday night, 19 people were arrested in Ybor and SoHo for doing just that.
WATCH: Locals react after Tampa Police arrest 19 for fake IDs ahead of first day of college
This isn’t the first time either. The agency is following through on its "Operation Buzz Kill," when back in May, they arrested more than 50 people for having fake IDs/underage drinking.
While this comes the weekend before students start classes at the University of South Florida and the University of Tampa, TPD said this mission is an ongoing effort year-round, not just for when college is in session. A spokesperson said they are targeting anyone breaking the law, not just students.
Friday night's operations were made possible with the help of Hillsborough deputies and FHP troopers.
"I support it 100 percent," said Jesus Echevarria, one of Copper Shaker's managers.
Copper Shaker is one of the many bars in Ybor that draws a younger crowd.
Over the course of several years, Echevarria said they have collected over 200 fake IDs.
"If it’s in our possession, we keep it," said Echevarria. "If you look under 40, we’re going to check ID, and we’ve been trained to identify fake IDs."
In a Facebook post, the agency said, “facing felony charges for possessing a fake ID is a steep price to pay for that hard seltzer.”
Tampa Police said not everyone got a felony charge, though – if they were a first-time offender, they would have only gotten a misdemeanor, and been placed into an arrest diversion program.
The agency said it wants to keep streets safer and encourage kids to make better choices.
"It jeopardizes our liquor license, and kids don’t know how to behave," said Echevarria.
In SoHo, some Bucs pregamers said it’s not surprising to hear about this.
"I’ve definitely seen some younger people in SoHo, but not as much in Ybor," said Nick Wilcox, a Tampa resident.
Wilcox graduated from USF and is familiar with the SoHo scene.
"I think it’s probably for the best," said Wilcox. "I definitely know this is where the college kids want to come."
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.
