On Saturday, July 30, agents from the California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) and detectives from the La Mesa Police Department conducted an operation targeting adults who furnished alcoholic beverages to minors. The operation was conducted in the general vicinity of the City of La Mesa.

The decoy contacted several adults throughout the operation and three arrests were made. Decoy Shoulder Tap Operations target adults who purchase alcohol for people less than 21 years of age and partners ABC Agents with local law enforcement. During the operation, a minor under the direct supervision of a peace officer will stand outside a liquor or convenience store and ask patrons to buy them alcohol. The minor indicates in some way he or she is underage and cannot purchase the alcohol. If the adults agree to purchase alcohol for the minor, agents then arrest and cite them for furnishing alcohol to the minor. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service.

The program is intended to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors. Statistics show they generally have a higher rate of drunk driving crashes than adults. Studies also show the combination of alcohol and youth tends to increase criminal conduct. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), underage drinking can increase chances of risky sexual behavior and teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, compromise health, and result in unintentional injury and death.

This project is part of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s Minor Decoy/ Shoulder Tap Grant Project, funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Night Traffic Safety Administration. ABC is a Department of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.

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