Sheriff’s Office Hone Focus On ABC Regulations Compliance
Sonora, CA – Efforts focused on deterring underage drinkers and those who buy them alcoholic beverages are being honed under a new grant.
The Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office recently received over $8,000 that will enable deputies, officers, and state Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents to conduct local compliance checks, including under the “Minor Decoy/Shoulder Tap Project,” all geared towards ensuring ABC licensees are operating within regulations.
The state ABC project funding, which comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will cover activities through Aug. 30. Sheriff’s officials note that this is the second time the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office has received the grant.
Sheriff’s officials share statistics showing that those under the age of 21 have a higher rate of drunken driving and related fatalities than the general adult population, hence the traffic safety agencies’ support.
Furthermore, before the Minor Decoy Program was initiated in the 1980s, the violation rate of establishments selling alcohol to minors was estimated as high as 50 percent. In 1994, the State Supreme Court unanimously ruled the use of underage decoys as a valid law enforcement tool to ensure ABC licensees’ compliance. With Minor Decoy operations conducted on a routine basis, state and ABC officials report a ten percent drop in illegal sales.
