MENLO PARK — On June 20, 2023, California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents and Menlo Park police officers cited three clerks for selling alcohol to someone under the age of 21.
The citations are the result of a minor decoy operation in which decoys under the age of 21 and under the direct supervision of department agents, attempt to purchase alcohol. On June 20th the operation took place at five retail licensees in the City of Menlo Park.
“With clerks at three out of the five locations selling alcohol to the underage decoy, that’s a 60 percent success rate for the decoy. That’s not a positive for the safety of our young people or our communities. This is why it is so important for ABC agents and their local law enforcement partners to conduct these operations.”
Those who sold to the minor face a minimum fine of $250, and/or 24 to 32 hours of community service for a first violation. In addition, ABC will pursue administrative action against the alcoholic beverage license of the business where alcohol was sold to the decoy. That may include a fine, a suspension of the license, or the permanent revocation of the license.
ABC is conducting the compliance checks statewide to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors. Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a higher rate of drunken driving fatalities than the general adult population.
