Full Notification

On February 26, 2013, the Campbell Police Department conducted a decoy operation to identify clerks who sell alcohol to minors and adults who purchase alcohol for minors.

The Minor Decoy Operation involves minors who work under the direct supervision of officers. During this operation, the minor attempted to purchase alcohol from five (5) retail licensees in the City of Campbell.

Those who sell to minors face a minimum fine of $250, and/or 24 to 32 hours of community service for a first violation. In addition, ABC will take administrative action against the alcoholic beverage license of the business. That may include a fine, a suspension of the license, or the permanent revocation of the license.

In addition to the Minor Decoy Operation, Investigators also conducted a Decoy Shoulder Tap Operation. A Decoy Shoulder Tap Operation targets adults who purchase alcohol for people less than 21 years of age. During the operation, the minor stood outside a convenience store and asked patrons to buy them alcohol. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1000 fine and 24 hours of community service.

The Campbell Police Department is conducting the compliance checks to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors. Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a higher rate of driving under the influence fatalities than the general adult population.

Minor Decoy operations have been conducted by local law enforcement throughout the state since the 1980’s. When the program first 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 in some cities as low as 10 percent or even below. In 1994, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that use of underage decoys is a valid tool of law enforcement to ensure that licensees are complying with the law.

This project is 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.