On Wednesday, November 15, 2023, agents from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) and Fairfield Police Department’s Community Action Team (C.A.T), Patrol Division and Code Enforcement conducted a Minor Decoy operation in which minors under the direct supervision of law enforcement attempted to purchase alcohol from ten retail licensees in Fairfield.
ABC cited four businesses for selling alcohol to a minor: Panderia La Mexicana, Circle K, Seven Food & Liquor, and 7-Eleven.
Fairfield Police Department’s Code Enforcement Unit opened cases on the business involved in the sales to minors. Panderia La Mexicana will face a suspension of its license, this was their third violation, including its second violation in two weeks.
Clerks who sold to a minor face a fine up to $1,000 and 32 hours of community service for a first violation. In addition, ABC may take administrative action against the alcoholic beverage license belonging to the businesses where alcohol was sold to a minor. That may include a fine, suspension, or the permanent revocation of the license.
Businesses should always check IDs before selling alcohol. Preventing access to people not old enough to legally purchase alcohol improves safety on our roadways and in our communities.
Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have 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).
Minor Decoy operations have been conducted by local law enforcement throughout the state since the 1980s. 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 to below 10 percent in some cities. In 1994, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that use of minor decoys is a valid tool of law enforcement to ensure that licensees are complying with the law.
Jeremy Profitt
Community Engagement Division
707.428.7709
