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The Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) and agents from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) cited six suspects from October 2023 - May 2024 for furnishing alcoholic beverages to underage persons. The operation was conducted in the city of Long Beach.
ABC agents and local law enforcement conducted a Shoulder Tap operation which targets adults who purchase alcohol for persons under the age of 21. A decoy under the direct supervision of law enforcement stands outside of a liquor or convenience store and asks customers to buy them alcohol. The decoy also indicates they are underage and cannot purchase the alcohol.
“It’s important to uphold our community’s values by taking enforcement or education action against those who contribute to the delinquency or our minors,” said LBPD Commander Michael Richens.
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 have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a much higher risk of being involved in a crash than older drivers. About 25 percent of fatal crashes involve underage drinking according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the ABC Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) program.