BIDDEFORD — Three local establishments that sell or serve liquor have been cited by Biddeford Police for alleged violations that pertain to underage drinking.

Of 31 establishments checked by Biddeford Police on Oct 22 and 23, 28 were in compliance, according to a city news release.

Those cited for violations relating to the alleged sale of liquor to a minor include 7-Eleven, 99 Restaurant & Pub, and Sea Star Market, the latter was cited for a similar violation in November 2019.

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention provided  funding for the compliance checks by police.

Deputy Police Chief JoAnne Fisk said the program is ongoing.

“We generally conduct these checks several times per year and have done so for several years now,” she said.

Seven establishments were cited in December 2019. None of those cited at that time were among the three that allegedly violated Maine’s underage drinking laws during the October checks.

The legal age to purchase or consume alcohol in Maine is 21.

According to figures supplied by the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations, 287 violations were processed statewide in 2019 through Dec. 17, including 11 by county sheriff’s offices, 73 by municipal law enforcement agencies, 122 by the Maine Sheriff’s Association and 81 by the alcohol bureau’s inspectors.

If a licensee is cited for a violation, the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations online procedures spell out that the alleged violators have an opportunity to resolve the issue through a consent decree. If no agreement can be made, the matter is handled by the Maine District Court.

The outcome of  the alleged November 2019 violation by Sea Star Market is unknown; a spokeswoman for the Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery did not respond to a phone call or email prior to the newspaper’s deadline for the print edition.