“No one is doing a young person under the age of 21 any favors by purchasing alcohol for them.  It’s not cool, it’s against the law, and these types of operations work to educate the public that there is a price to be paid for furnishing alcohol to someone underage.  We thank ABC agents and their local law enforcement partners for working to keep the public safe.”

– CSLEA President Alan Barcelona

LAKE ELSINORE –On April 13, 2024, California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents and deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office arrested three people for furnishing alcoholic beverages to someone under the age of 21. The arrests were the result of a decoy operation conducted in Lake Elsinore.

The Shoulder Tap operation targets adults who purchase alcohol for someone under 21 years of age. During the operation, a decoy under the age of 21 and under the direct supervision of a peace officer stands outside a liquor or convenience store and ask patrons to buy them alcohol. The decoy indicates that he or she is underage and cannot purchase the alcohol.

If the patrons purchase alcohol for the decoy, agents then arrest and cite them for furnishing alcohol to the underage decoy. 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 drunken driving crashes than adults.

“Shoulder Tap operations hold accountable those who furnish alcohol to minors,” said ABC Director Joseph McCullough. “Keeping alcohol away from youth is a priority.”