Local and state authorities notified 25 people about the ramifications of buying alcohol on behalf of those under age during a Shoulder Tap operation in Encinitas earlier this month, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department announced Friday, March 15.
None of the 25 people asked by a minor decoy to buy alcohol for them agreed to do so, authorities reported. The March 9 operation was a joint effort of the Sheriff’s Department and the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
A Shoulder Tap operation works by having a minor under supervision of law enforcement stand outside a liquor or convenience store and ask customers to buy them alcohol, according to the Sheriff’s Department. The minor indicates that they are underage and cannot purchase alcohol.
Adults agreeing to purchase alcohol for an underage person face arrest and citation. The minimum fine is $1,000 in addition to 24 hours of community service.
“We conduct these operations to keep alcohol out of the hands of our youth,” ABC Director Joseph McCullough said in a Sheriff’s Department news release. “By preventing underage drinking, we can increase the quality of life in our communities and reduce DUIs.”
The operation was funded by the ABC’s Alcohol Policing Partnership program and the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.