Full Notification

The SCSO Conducted a “Shoulder Tap” Operation under grant funding provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety. Subsidies were also received through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as well.

On March 26, 2021, Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested two business patrons for furnishing alcohol to minors. The enforcement actions were the result of a “shoulder tap” operation in which minors under the direct supervision of department sheriff’s deputies attempted to purchase alcohol. Attempts to purchase were made from 26 patrons including seven retail ABC licensed businesses in Stanislaus County. These included businesses in the unincorporated portions of Empire and Denair.

Stanislaus County Deputy Sheriff’s conducted a program called a “Decoy Shoulder Tap Operation” which holds accountable any adults who purchase alcohol for people less than 21-years of age. As part of the program, a minor under the direct supervision of a peace officer, will stand outside a liquor or convenience store and ask patrons to buy them alcohol. The minor indicates in some way he or she is underage and cannot purchase the alcohol.

If the adults agree to purchase alcohol for the minor, then designated enforcement personnel step-in to arrest and/or cite them for furnishing alcohol to the minor. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1000 fine and 24-hours of community service.

The program is intended to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors. Statistics show they generally have a higher likelihood of being involved in a drunk driving crash than an adults. According to the American Medical Association, underage drinking can increase chances of risky sexual behavior, teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, compromised health problems, and may result in unintentional injury and/or death.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

ABC protects communities through education, prevention, and enforcement programs designed to increase compliance with California’s alcoholic beverage laws.

To learn more about ABC enforcement and prevention programs that can help increase public safety visit:

Enforcement programs

Prevention programs

For further information please contact:
Deputy Patrick McCulloch
[email protected]
(209) 869-7162
#AlcoholPolicingPartnerships