The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) conducted an undercover Decoy/Shoulder Tap operation on Monday, April 6, which resulted in no violations.
SMPD Sgt. Rudy Camarena said two supervised underage decoys and an enforcement team visited five alcohol retail establishments within the city of Santa Monica and made a total of 77 contacts.
“The decoys stood outside and solicited adult patrons to act as proxies and purchase alcohol on their behalf,” Camarena said. “No violations were found.”
Camarena said Decoy Shoulder Tap operations are geared towards adults who knowingly furnish alcoholic beverages to minors.
“The goal is to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors and to send a clear message that it is illegal for adults to facilitate such access,” he said.
This operation was part of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s Minor Decoy/Shoulder Tap Grant Project funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.