Lemoore Police target adults who buy alcohol for minors in local operation

Friday, April 4, 2014 - 6:00pm

Lemoore police officers, on Thursday, April 3, arrested three suspects for furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors. The three subjects arrested were 25-year-old John Delgado of Huron, 43-year-old Russel Glaspie of Lemoore, and 25-year-old Sean Cooper of Lemoore. The operation was conducted in the City of Lemoore.

The Lemoore Police Department conducted a program called a Decoy Shoulder Tap Operation, which targets adults who purchase alcohol for people under 21 years of age. Under the program, a minor, under the direct supervision of a peace officer, stands outside a liquor or convenience store and asks patrons to buy them alcohol.

The minor indicates in some way that he or she is underage and cannot purchase the alcohol. If the adults agree to purchase alcohol for the minor, officers 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 drunk driving traffic collisions than adults. Studies also show that 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.

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.

Lemoore Police target adults who buy alcohol for minors in local operation

Law Enforcement