Edhat StaffSource: Santa Maria Police Department
On Wednesday, 04/18/2018, the Santa Maria Police Department conducted an ABC “Shoulder Tap” and “Minor Decoy” operation throughout the City of Santa Maria. These programs are designed to reduce youth access to alcoholic beverages. These type of operations are conducted by local law enforcement throughout the state.
During the “Shoulder Tap” operation, a minor decoy under the direct supervision of officers, attempts to get persons from the community to purchase alcoholic beverages from the ABC licensed establishments within our city. This operation was attempted at five different locations of “off-sale establishments” in the City of Santa Maria. A total of 14 individuals were contacted and none of them purchased alcohol for the minor. This operation is considered to be a success because our community members did not purchase an alcoholic beverage for the underage decoy.
During the “Minor Decoy” operation a minor decoy, under the age of 21, attempted to purchase alcoholic beverages, under the direct supervision of SMPD undercover officers. The decoy entered two “on-sale establishments” and two “off-sale establishments.” None of the establishments provided/served alcohol to the minor decoy. This operation is consider to be a success because at every establishment the clerks/servers asked for identification from the minor decoy and no violations were committed.
These type of programs are intended to reduce the availability of alcoholic beverages to minors; statistics show that teens have a greater rate of drunken driving crashes than adults.
Funding for these programs are provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety administration through an ABC Grant which was awarded to the Santa Maria Police Department for these types of operations.
I intend to try and buy a gun from people on the streets. When they refuse to sell it to me I will declare my campaign against illicit arms sales a success. Can I get a grant for this?