Long Beach Police Department

The Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) cited seven suspects from February 2025 to March 2025 for furnishing alcoholic beverages to underage persons. The operations were conducted in the City of Long Beach.

Local law enforcement conducted three Shoulder Tap Operations which target adults who purchase alcohol for persons under the age of 21. A decoy, under the direct supervision of law enforcement, loiters outside a liquor or convenience store and asks approaching customers to buy them alcohol. The decoy also indicates they are underage and cannot purchase alcohol.

"Underage drinking harms our community," said LBPD Commander Michael Richens. "Preventing the sale of alcohol to minors will benefit the community, help increase public safety and make our roads safer."

If an adult agrees to purchase alcohol for the underage person, they can be arrested and/or cited and released for furnishing alcohol to an underage person. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to an underage person is a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service.

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

Statistics provided by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a much higher risk of being involved in traffic accidents than older drivers. About 25 percent of fatal crashes involve underage drinking.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s, Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) program.