Redlands Police and ABC Cite One as Part of a Statewide Underage Drinking Enforcement Operation

The Redlands Police Department and agents from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) cited one person March 14 for furnishing alcoholic beverages to a minor as part of ABC’s statewide Shoulder Tap operation.

This enforcement operation is designed to create awareness about the dangers of underage drinking throughout California and keep communities safe.

A Shoulder Tap operation focuses on adults who purchase alcohol for people under the age of 21.

A minor under the direct supervision of law enforcement stands outside of a liquor or convenience store and asks customers to buy them alcohol. The minor also indicates they are underage and cannot purchase the alcohol.

If an adult agrees to purchase alcohol for the underage person, they can be arrested and cited for furnishing alcohol to a minor. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service.

“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.”

Statistics have shown that people under the age of 21 have a much higher risk of being involved in a crash than older drivers. Almost a third of young drivers killed in fatal crashes involved underage drinking, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

This operation was funded by ABC’s Alcohol Policing Partnership program and the California Office of Traffic Safety through NHTSA.