Orange County law enforcement and the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) recently took aim at a major source of beer and booze for underage drinkers: those over 21 appearing as if they won't kick the ass of kids outside quickie marts asking if the adult will buy beer and booze. But while the participating Buena Park Police Department described Friday's countywide “Decoy Shoulder Tap Operation” as “large,” the results sound quite small.
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“The task force operation resulted in 25 contacts with possible offenders,” reads a statement from the cop shop, which notes the stings took place from 5-10 p.m.
“Three individuals were cited for furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors.”
Three?
In the entire county?
Sounds like a lot of holler for not much. But these ABC investigators and local law enforcement types call the Decoy Shoulder Tap Operation a big success. Just think of how many teens were spared from getting pass-out drunk before Comedy Central's Workaholics marathon ended that night.
As part of the operation, a minor posed as a minor seeking drink outside targeted liquor stores and convenience marts. Any adult who took the bait was immediately arrested and cited. Think of the parking lots as Chris Hansen's front lawn, which I suppose would make the booze the chocolate chip cookies on the kitchen counter. Or would the liquor be the “little girl.”
Anyway, there were three of these perps, in all of OC. That should deter a practice dating back to God's creation of Stop N' Robs, no?
Johnny Law warns that being cited for furnishing alcohol to a minor (or minor decoy) can result in a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service. Funded by state and federal grants, the operation also cites American Medical Association findings showing underage drinking can increase the chances of juvenile delinquency, health problems, unintentional injury or death, risky sexual behavior and teen pregnancy.
I'd add a helluva nasty hangover if you binge on Smirnoff Ice.
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OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.