OROVILLE- On April 2, 2020, in an effort to keep the community safe from the fast spreading coronavirus COVID-19, California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents and Oroville Police Department officers conducted an operation to confront people not adhering to “physical distancing” and violating laws concerning loitering and consuming alcoholic beverages outside stores that sell alcoholic beverages.

Agents and officers witnessed people gathering to socialize and to drink in front of an AM PM and Food Express.  They cited three individuals for drinking in public, two for public intoxication, one for a warrant, and one for a parole violation and weapons charge.

In addition, business owners were reminded that allowing people to loiter and consume alcoholic beverages on the premises is a violation of their ABC license.

“No one wants to police what should be considered everyone’s responsibility to save lives by adhering to physical distancing directives and stay at home orders,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “Thank you to the ABC agents and all of law enforcement and first responders who continue to arrive for work each day, dawn their uniforms and work to protect us.  These are our heroes who are essential to our society and civilization and they are braving conditions most of us would never have imagined.   I thank them for their continued service during this unprecedented time.”