MEDIA ADVISORY

 On January 9, 2023, San José Police Department Officers, along with agents from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), conducted a Minor Decoy operation in which minors under the direct supervision of department agents attempted to purchase alcohol from six retail licensees in San José. None of the locations sold to a minor decoy.

ABC conducts these compliance checks statewide to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors. Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a higher rate of drunk driving fatalities than the general adult population. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 25 percent of alcohol-related crashes involve underage drinking.

Minor Decoy operations have been conducted by local law enforcement agencies throughout California 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.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through NHTSA.

Anyone with information on licensed liquor establishments providing alcohol to minors can submit crime tips and remain anonymous by using the P3TIPS mobile app, calling the tip line at (408) 947-STOP, or on www.svcrimestoppers.org.