Long Beach
Police Department

The Long Beach Police Department and agents from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Cited four suspects from October 2022 - May 2023 for furnishing alcoholic beverages to underage persons. The operation was conducted in the City of Long Beach.

ABC agents and local law enforcement conducted a Shoulder Tap operation which targets adults who purchase alcohol for persons under the age of 21. A decoy under the direct supervision of law enforcement stands outside of a liquor or convenience store and asks customers to buy them alcohol. The decoy also indicates they are underage and cannot purchase the alcohol. 

“Underage drinking harms our community,” said LBPD Lieutenant Paul Baum.” Preventing the sale of alcohol to minors will help to increase public safety and make our roads safer.”

If an adult agrees to purchase alcohol for the underage person, they can be arrested and/or cited and released for furnishing alcohol to an underage person. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to an underage person 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,” said ABC Director Eric Hirata. “By preventing underage drinking we can increase the quality of life in our communities and reduce DUIs.”

Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a 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).

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the ABC Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) program.