But after the hearing recessed, the case was dismissed for lack of evidence.

Cops in the Cradle

The Cambridge Police Department (CPD) is also responsible for enforcing the drinking age, and they are not as tightly constrained as the ABCC.

However, McCarthy has consistently hired off-duty police details to work at the Grille on busy nights at tremendous cost--according to Cambridge License Commission records, he was in debt $12,000 to CPD for detail work before recently paying down the arrears.

But although the policemen are in their CPD uniforms, they are McCarthy's employees for the evening. They do what they are paid to do--keep the peace and, according to Rafferty, deter minors from attempting to enter by their presence. Rafferty says McCarthy does not expect them to double-check IDs, and student regulars say the officers never do.

"There are certain police officers who think that as an employee of that licensee, they shouldn't look at anything else," says Scali. "By law, it's not the police officer's responsibility to card...and details don't view carding as their job."

But there appears to be some miscommunication in the ranks. According to CPD Detective Frank Pasquarello, investigating underage drinking is within the detail's responsibilities.

"If an officer is hired by a specific place," Pasquarello says, "[and] if he observes someone underage, he can ask them for ID. If he sees someone who looks like they're 12, he can ask questions."