“This type of work by California ABC agents and their local law enforcement partners helps to curb underage drinking which in turn protects the public from potential harm.”
CSLEA President Alan Barcelona
SAN DIEGO COUNTY – On December 7, 2023, California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents and deputies from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSD) conducted Minor Decoy and Shoulder Tap Operations at various locations in the Cities of Encinitas and Solana Beach.
During the Minor Decoy operation, a decoy visited retailers at seven locations and attempted to purchase alcoholic beverages under the direct supervision of peace officers. None of the locations sold alcohol to a minor decoy.
The Shoulder Tap operation was conducted in front of one local retail liquor store where a decoy, under the direct supervision of a peace officer, asked adults to purchase alcohol. The decoy indicated he/she was underage and could not purchase the alcohol. Seventeen adults were contacted and two adults purchased alcohol for the decoy. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service.
ABC conducts these 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.
SDSD partners with ABC through the Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) grant to help prevent underage drinking and other crimes that may occur at ABC licensed establishments.
