Buy Booze for a Kid, Go to Jail. SMPD Minor Decoy Program

On June 9, 2017, officers from the Santa Monica Police Department's Vice Unit conducted a minor decoy operation targeting alcohol retail establishments within the Main Street corridor and downtown area.

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 may result in criminal and administrative sanctions for the employee and the licensee.

The team visited 8 alcohol retail establishments within the city of Santa Monica. All establishments did a commendable job and used proper protocol as the minor decoy was denied alcohol at each location.

The following locations engaged in responsible sales of alcohol by asking for the decoy's age, identification and refusing to sell alcohol upon determining the minor was under 21:

Fish Enterprise Co. Main St Market Rick's Tavern

Surf Liquor

M Street Kitchen AMF Bayshore Lanes Cheesecake Factory Frank's Liquor

174 Kinney

2916 Main Street

2907 Main Street 2522 Main Street 2000 Main Street

234 Pico Blvd.

395 Santa Monica Place

115 Broadway Ave

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.