SANTA MONICA—The Santa Monica Police Department alongside the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control will conduct several “Decoy Shoulder Tap” and “Minor Decoy Operations.”
The operation is aimed at adults who act as aides and purchase alcoholic beverages at the request of minors who are soliciting outside licensed establishments. The goal is to decrease access to alcohol to minors and to send the clear message that it’s illegal for adults to purchase or furnish alcohol to minors.
The Minor Decoy Program utilizes supervised adults under the age of 20, who attempt to purchase alcohol at licensed premises. The sale of any alcohol to a minor decoy subjects the employee and the licensee to criminal and administrative sanctions.
These programs have had an impact on the responsible practices in the sale of alcoholic beverages by licensed establishments, reduction in substance abuse and increasing community welfare by preventing underage individuals from obtaining alcohol.
The project is apart of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s Minor Decoy/Shoulder Tap Grant Project that has been funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
