Seal Beach Police Department officers arrested three suspects for furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors, along with one for possessing fictitious identification, during enforcement operations conducted during the month of December 2017.
The operations were conducted in the general vicinity of Old Town. The police did not provide the names of the arrestees.
Seal Beach officers conducted a program called a Decoy Shoulder Tap Operation which targets adults who purchase alcohol for people less than 21 years of age.
Under the program, a minor under the direct supervision of a peace officer will stand outside a California Alcoholic Beverage Control licensed establishment 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 agree and either purchase or provide 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 that minors generally have a higher rate of drunken driving crashes when compared to 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.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Alcoholic Beverage Control through the department’s Grant Assistance Program.
ABC is a Department of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.
