The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station and Lake Elsinore – Agents of the California Alcoholic Beverage Control recently visited numerous stores to identify underage minors attempting to purchase alcohol.
On Sunday, officers engaged in the “minor decoy operation,” where minors, under the direct supervision of department agents, attempted to purchase alcohol from ten different Lake Elsinore retail licensees, according to Sgt. GarciaVilla.
“No citations were issued. None of the businesses sold alcohol to minors,” Sgt. Wenndy Brito-Gonzalez told Patch.
Those who sold alcohol to minors now face a minimum fine of $250, and/or 24 to 32 hours of community service for a first violation. In addition, ABC will take administrative action against the alcoholic beverage license of the business where alcohol was sold to a minor. That may include a fine, a suspension of the license, or the permanent revocation of the license.
Captain James Rayls spoke on the operation and why it’s necessary.
“Underage drinking harms our community. Preventing the sale of alcohol to minors will help to increase public safety and make our roads safer,” Rayls said.
Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a higher rate of drunken driving fatalities than the general adult population. About 25 percent of alcohol-related crashes involve underage drinking according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
ABC Director Joseph McCullough also shared thoughts on the operation.
“Minor Decoy operations hold accountable those who sell alcohol to minors,” McCullough said. “Keeping alcohol away from youth is a priority.”
Minor Decoy operations have been conducted by local law enforcement throughout the state since the 1980s. When the program first began, the violation rate of retail establishments selling to minors was as high as 40 to 50 percent. When conducted on a routine basis, the rate has dropped in some cities as low as 10 percent or even below.
In 1994, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that use of underage decoys is a valid tool of law enforcement to ensure that licensees are complying with the law.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
ABC encourages licensees to sign up for ABC’s Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs (LEAD) training free of charge. Licensees and their employees can take the training online.
To learn more about ABC enforcement and prevention programs that help increase public safety visit Enforcement programs and Prevention programs. ABC protects communities through programs designed to increase compliance with California’s alcoholic beverage laws.
ABC is a Department of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.
