“Not only is it a crime to furnish alcohol to someone under 21, it can lead to dangerous consequences including DUI crashes, alcohol poisoning, physical and sexual assaults and death.  We very much appreciate the law enforcement efforts to prevent underage drinking.”

– CSLEA President Alan Barcelona

REDLANDS – On May 29, 2026, agents from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) and Redlands Police Department officers cited five people for furnishing alcoholic beverages to a minor during an enforcement operation designed to create awareness about the dangers of underage drinking and to keep communities safe.

During the enforcement operation, adults were approached by someone under 21 and asked to purchase alcohol for the underage person. The underage person always made it clear that being underage was the reason for the request.

Adults who agree to purchase alcohol for the underage person, can be arrested and cited for furnishing alcohol to a minor. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service. Three people were arrested and cited as part of Friday’s Shoulder Tap operation.

“We conduct these operations to keep alcohol out of the hands of our youth,” said ABC Director Paul Tupy. “By preventing underage drinking, we can increase the quality of life in our communities and reduce DUIs.”

“Conducting these operations allows us to help reduce underage drinking and increase public safety,” said Redlands Police Chief Rachel Tolber. “This is important to Redlands in order to increase protection for youth and to address crime at problem locations.”

Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a much higher risk of being involved in a crash than older drivers. Almost a third of young drivers killed in fatal crashes involved underage drinking according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).