Five Cited For Furnishing Alcohol to Minors

Here is the revamped press release formatted strictly according to AP Style guidelines.

Notable changes include standardizing the dateline, converting spelled-out numbers to figures where appropriate, correcting punctuation placement around quotation marks, capitalizing official titles only when they precede a name, and optimizing the flow for a traditional news wire.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

REDLANDS, Calif. — The Redlands Police Department and agents from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) cited five people Friday for furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors during statewide enforcement operations.

The citations were issued as part of ABC’s Shoulder Tap and Minor Decoy programs, which are designed to curb underage drinking and improve community safety.

During the Shoulder Tap operation, three adults were cited after agreeing to buy alcohol for a minor decoy outside local convenience and liquor stores. The minor decoys, operating under direct law enforcement supervision, explicitly told the adults they were under 21 and could not legally purchase the beverages themselves.

Furnishing alcohol to a minor carries a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service.

In a separate Minor Decoy operation focusing on retail compliance, clerks at two local businesses were cited for selling alcohol to a minor. First-time retail violations carry a minimum $250 fine and 24 to 32 hours of community service. Businesses also face administrative actions from the ABC, which can include fines, license suspension or permanent revocation.

"We conduct these operations to keep alcohol out of the hands of our youth," ABC Director Paul Tupy said. "By preventing underage drinking, we can increase the quality of life in our communities and reduce DUIs."

Redlands Police Chief Rachel Tolber said the enforcement efforts are crucial for public safety.

"Conducting these operations allows us to help reduce underage drinking and increase public safety," Tolber said. "This is important to Redlands in order to increase protection for youth and to address crime at problem locations."

Drivers under 21 face a significantly higher risk of being involved in a car crash than older drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly one-third of young drivers killed in fatal crashes had been drinking.

"Licensees should always check identification before selling alcohol," Tupy said. "Our roadways and communities see improved safety when we prevent access to people not old enough to legally purchase alcohol."

Minor Decoy operations have been used by California law enforcement since the 1980s. When the program began, retail violation rates reached 40% to 50%. Routine operations have since dropped that rate below 10% in some cities. The California Supreme Court unanimously ruled in 1994 that the use of minor decoys is a valid law enforcement tool.

The Redlands operations were funded by a $42,648 grant from the ABC Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) program and the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the NHTSA. The Redlands City Council accepted the grant Sept. 16, 2025.

The funding is one of nearly 50 grants awarded statewide to pair local law enforcement with ABC agents. The resources are used to combat underage sales, sales to obviously intoxicated patrons, illegal alcohol solicitations and illicit drug activity.

"Our Alcohol Policing Partnership program can improve the quality of life in neighborhoods," Tupy said. "The communities where the grant program’s resources have been invested have seen a real difference."