Three Cited for Furnishing Alcohol to Underage Volunteer

Recently, two people were cited after selling alcohol to a teen-age Redlands Police Department volunteer Sunday. Another person was cited after buying alcohol for the teen. On Sunday, May 31, police visited 13 licensed alcohol establishments in the City conducting a Minor Decoy Operation, which uses minors under the direct supervision of a peace officer to enter a licensed establishment and attempt to buy alcohol. During decoy operations, minor decoys are required to answer truthfully if asked their age and to provide valid identification indicating they are underage to buy alcohol. Police also conducted a Shoulder Tap Operation in which the teen volunteer, under the direct supervision of a Redlands Police officer, stood outside four local businesses that sell alcohol and offered to give people entering the stores money to buy beer. The enforcement efforts are part of a $18,600 grant from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Police cited a 23-year-old clerk at the ARCO at 539 E. Redlands Blvd. and another 23-year-old clerk at Rancho Liquor, 802 W. Colton Ave., after they sold alcohol to the underage volunteer. A 53-year-old Redlands woman was also cited for buying alcohol for the teen. The alcohol was returned to the business for a refund. The City Council accepted the ABC grant Nov. 18 for the Police Department to conduct minor decoy and shoulder tap operations. The grant also provides funding for Informed Merchants Preventing Alcohol-Related Crime Tendencies (IMPACT) inspections Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs (LEAD) classes for ABC-licensed businesses. Training is conducted by ABC’s Training/LEAD unit. The grant funding runs through Sept. 30, 2015, and covers officer overtime and equipment purchases. This project is part of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s Minor Decoy/Shoulder Tap Grant Project, funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Details of the grant are available at the following link: http://ci.redlands.ca.us/clerk/2014staffreports/141118I8.pdf. ABC grant operations are a component of the Redlands Police Department’s Responsible Redlands initiative. The Redlands Police Department, with the support of state agencies, including the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and Office of Traffic Safety, the County of San Bernardino, and local businesses and community groups, launched the initiative in late August 2013 to focus on enforcing alcohol laws. The Responsible Redlands initiative aims to curb the problems related to binge and underage drinking in Redlands in order to achieve a safer, healthier community. The campaign includes DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols to identify intoxicated drivers, party patrols to enforce the City’s Social Host Ordinance, decoy operations to cite businesses and individuals who provide alcohol to underage persons and educational efforts for local businesses that serve alcohol. Responsible Redlands welcomes partnerships with alcohol retailers and establishments that serve alcohol. The Responsible Redlands initiative addresses problems related to binge and underage drinking through ongoing strategic operations to enforce alcohol laws. It is a collaborative effort formed and led by the Redlands Police Department, supported by the Common Vision Coalition, local businesses and the State Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control District Office and State Office of Traffic Safety. For suspected alcohol​ related violations, please call (909) 798​-7681. Anonymous tips can be provided by texting 274637 using the keyword “REDTIP.” You can also call or send text messages to the confidential national WE​Tip Hotline at 800-​78​CRIME (800​-782-​7463). For more information about Responsible Redlands, please visit: www.cityofredlands.org/Responsible. For suspected alcohol-related violations, please call (909) 798-7681. Anonymous tips can be provided by texting 274637 using the keyword “REDTIP.” For more information about Responsible Redlands, please visit: www.cityofredlands.org/police and click on the Responsible Redlands Initiative link. Redlands Police press releases and other information are available on the Redlands Police Department Facebook page at www.facebook.com/redlandspolicedepartment or on the Department website at www.redlandspolice.org