SAN DIEGO–San Diego police Monday conducted an operation called “Decoy Shoulder Tap” which targets adults who purchase alcohol for people less than 21 years of age.
Five suspects were arrested for furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors. The operation was conducted in the general vicinity of San Ysidro and Sherman Heights areas of San Diego.
Under the program, a minor under the direct supervision of an officer, will stand outside a liquor or convenience store and ask patrons to buy them alcohol. The minor indicates in some way he or she is underage and cannot purchase the alcohol.
If the adults agrees to purchase alcohol for the minor, officers arrest and cite them for furnishing alcohol to the minor. 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. Studies also show the combination of alcohol and youth tends to increase criminal conduct. According to the American Medical Association, underage drinking can increase chances of risky sexual behavior and teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, compromise health, and result in unintentional injury and death.
The project is part of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s Minor Decoy and Shoulder Tap Grant Project, funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
