SANTA MONICA—The Santa Monica Police Department’s Vice Unit launched a decoy operation on April 25 to promote the responsible sale of alcohol by licensees and minimize the impact of substance abuse.
The SMPD in ordinance with their Vice Unit conducted a minor decoy operation with the assistance of individuals under the age of 20. The underage decoys were asked to try to purchase alcohol at licensed premises, according to a press release from the SMPD.
The team visited 10 different alcohol retailers in the city of Santa Monica and the following establishments practiced the responsible sale of alcohol: Duck Blind, 1102 Montana Avenue; Pavilions, 820 Montana Avenue; CVS Pharmacy, 2505 Santa Monica Blvd.; Kings Liquor, 3102 Santa Monica Blvd.; Rite Aid, 1808 Wilshire Blvd.; Vons, 1331 Wilshire Blvd; Santa Monica Liquor, 1001 Wilshire Blvd.; Ladd’s Liquor, 1011 Broadway.
The previously mentioned alcohol retailers asked for the decoy’s age and identification, and consequently refused to sell them alcohol upon learning they were not of age.
The Minor Decoy Program has proven to be effective in enhancing community welfare by restricting underage access to alcohol, according to the SMPD.
The operation was sanctioned by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s Minor Decoy/Shoulder Tap Grant Project. The program was funded by the California office of traffic safety.
