On July 17, officers from the Santa Monica Police Department's Vice Unit conducted an undercover minor decoy operation. The Minor Decoy Program uses supervised individuals under the age of 20, who attempt to purchase alcohol at licensed premises. Any sale of alcohol to a minor decoy subjects the employee and the licensee to criminal and administrative sanctions.
The team visited 11 alcohol retail premises within the city of Santa Monica. The following locations engaged in responsible sales of alcohol by asking for the decoy's age, identification and subsequently refusing to sell upon determination that the decoy was a minor:
Pagliaris Liquor (2916 Main St.), Star Liquor (1929 Main St.), Arco (332 Pico Blvd.), 7-Eleven (1865 Lincoln Blvd.), Bay Cities (1517 Lincoln Blvd.), Vons (710 Broadway), CVS Pharmacy (1411 Lincoln Blvd.), Co-Opt Market (1525 Broadway), 7-Eleven (1600 Santa Monica Blvd.), Rite Aid (1331 Wilshire Blvd.) and Vons (1331 Wilshire Blvd.).
The Minor Decoy Program has proven to be an effective tool in promoting responsible practices in the sales of alcoholic beverages by licensees, reducing substance abuse and enhancing community welfare by limiting underage access to alcohol.
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.
