Tisbury selectmen this week instructed the police chief to write to town restaurant owners, warning them that they face criminal penalties if they sell alcohol to customers on the sly.

And there was a suggestion that if there continued to be evidence of the practice, police might be brought from off-Island to try to catch them doing it.

Allegations of under-the-counter alcohol sales have featured prominently in the arguments for and against moves to legalize beer and wine sales in the town, and they arose again at this year’s annual town meeting when the topic was again debated.

Currently, Tisbury restaurants cannot sell alcohol, but customers may bring their own.

This week selectman Tristan Israel said he wanted the letters sent out to remind restaurant owners that the regime of “bring your own bottle” was a privilege the town extended to them.

Mr. Israel cited the most frequent form of alleged abuse, where, as he put it, staff tell diners who want an alcoholic drink: “We’ll have the package store deliver it — and it’s there in three minutes.”

Police chief John Cashin said he had heard of unlicensed sales, but they were hard to prove.

It was agreed that a letter warning of possible future undercover operations would give owners pause for thought.

Mr. Israel also suggested that owners should be aware that past breaches of the no-alcohol laws could be taken into account by selectmen in deciding who got licenses, if and when the proposed beer and wine sales proposal was approved.

Later, Mr. Israel — a nondrinker — said he had little doubt it went on. Several years back, he personally had been offered a beer at one town establishment.

“I’ve heard people talk about it, at town meeting and elsewhere, over the years,” he said. “And as a town father I guess I take some umbrage at that. If things are still going on, I think we should enforce.” He continued:

“So I just wanted people to know the town will enforce this, and if the new laws pass, we will enforce those too.

“We’re not going to be Eliot Ness breaking down doors. But the selectmen issue the licenses and if there was a place with a history of abusing, that could affect their chances.”

Tuesday night’s meeting also saw the first appearance of the newest selectman, Geoghan Coogan, who was elected unopposed at the recent town election.

Mr. Israel said it was also an emotional moment for him, “having sat with your dad [the late Edmond Coogan and former selectman].”

Mr. Israel was named the new chairman of the board, with Mr. Coogan as clerk and Jeff Kristal as vice chairman.

The selectmen also approved a request from a television production company to film scenes for a new series on Beach Road extension on May 6, 7 and 10.

And they gave Bruce Marshard a key to the lock on the gate of the town dog park, so he and his draft horses could use an ancient way off Holmes Hole Road to move supplies.