Seven accused of purchasing alcohol for minors

Seven people were cited for allegedly buyingalcohol for underage minors during a decoy operation that ran in Jurupa Valleyand Eastvale, part of a major statewide enforcement campaign, officials saidtoday.

Sheriff’s deputies and members of the state Alcoholic Beverage Controlagency conducted the six-hour “Shoulder Tap” operation at nine liquor storesin the Riverside County communities Friday.

The joint-operation was part of a statewide effort to curb underagedrinking and scale back the accessibility of alcoholic beverages to minors,Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Andrew Elia said.

Twenty-one adults were contacted by teens who stood outside the storesand asked the adults to buy alcohol for them. One of the seven people who wereeventually cited had an old misdemeanor warrant for an unspecified offense andtwo vehicles were towed, Elia said.

The bust in Jurupa Valley was part of a statewide effort that includedmore than 100 law enforcement agencies in a record-setting Decoy Shoulder TapOperation, in coordination with agents from Alcoholic Beverage Control workers,according to a department statement.

The Decoy Shoulder Tap Operation was conducted on Friday and resulted in475 arrests, more than last year’s total of 435. At least 50 of theindividuals cited were also arrested for other crimes such as illegal drugs,illegal gun possession, public drunkenness, parole violations and outstandingwarrants, according to the statement.

Under the program, a minor under the direct supervision of a peaceofficer will stand outside a liquor or convenience store and ask patrons to buythem alcohol. The minor makes it a point that she or he is underage and cannotbuy alcohol.

If the adult agrees to buy the alcohol for the minor, officers thenarrest and cite them for furnishing alcohol to a minor — which carries aminimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service, according to thestatement.

The operation, which was conducted Friday, was the first of threeplanned by police with funding from the California Office of Traffic Safetythrough the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.