Manteca police arrest four suspects for providing alcohol to minors | Crime

Manteca, CA - Agents from the California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) and the Manteca Police Department arrested four suspects on January 4, 2013 for furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors. The operation was conducted in the general vicinity of Manteca.

ABC agents and local law enforcement conducted a program called a Decoy Shoulder Tap Operation which targets adults who purchase alcohol for people less than 21 years of age. Under 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, Agents then arrest and 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 rate of drunken driving crashes than adults. Studies also show the combination of alcohol and youth tends to increase criminal conduct. According to the American Medical Association, underage drinking can increase chances of risky sexual behavior and teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, compromise health, and result in unintentional injury and death.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to battle alcohol-related crime.

ABC is a Department of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.

Source: Manteca Police Department