Redlands Police and ABC Cite Clerks for Selling Alcohol to Minors
Police Department along with agents of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) cited three clerks last month for selling alcohol to minors.
The actions were the result of a Minor Decoy operation on Jan. 22 in which minors under the direct supervision of department agents, attempted to purchase alcohol from nine retail licensees in Redlands.
During a previous Minor Decoy operation on Oct. 12, 2025, officers and agents visited 11 retail licensees and cited one clerk.
Clerks who sold to a minor face a minimum fine of $250, and 24 to 32 hours of community service for a first violation. Additionally, ABC may take administrative action against the alcoholic beverage license of the business where alcohol was sold to a minor, resulting in a fine, suspension, or permanent revocation of the license.
“Conducting these operations allow us to help reduce underage drinking and increase public safety,” said Redlands Police Chief Rachel Tolber. “Licensees should always check identification before selling alcohol,” said ABC Director Paul Tupy. “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 conducted by local law enforcement throughout the state since the 1980s. When the program began, the violation rate of retail establishments selling to minors was as high as 40 to 50 percent. When conducted on a routine basis, the rate has dropped to below 10 percent in some cities.
In 1994, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that use of minor decoys is a valid legal tool of law enforcement to make sure that licensees are complying with the law.
Funding for this program was provided by a $42,648 grant awarded to Redlands through ABC’s Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) program to reduce alcohol-related harm in their community. The grant was accepted by the Redlands City Council on Sept. 16, 2025.
“This is important to Redlands in order to increase protection for youth and to address crime at problem locations,” said Chief Tolber.
The grant is one of nearly 50 awarded in California to local law enforcement agencies.
These grants strengthen local law enforcement efforts by combining theirs with ABC agents who have expertise in alcoholic beverage laws to help reduce alcohol-related harm within their community.
“Our Alcohol Policing Partnership program can improve the quality of life in neighborhoods,” said Director Tupy. “The communities where the grant program’s resources have been invested have seen a real difference.”
The APP program was created in 1995 to strengthen partnerships between ABC and local law enforcement agencies. The program is designed to keep alcohol away from minors and prevent harm to the community.
The funds will be used to help prevent alcoholic beverage sales to minors and obviously intoxicated patrons, illegal solicitations of alcohol, and other criminal activities such as the sale and possession of illegal drugs.
Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a much higher risk of being involved in a crash than older drivers. About 25 percent of fatal crashes involve underage drinking according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).