Downtown Alcohol Enforcement Operation

Alcohol Unit officers were downtown on Cinco De Mayo for an enforcement operation as part of the state funded Alcoholic Beverage Control grant. In all, officers gave 13 citations including 9 for minors in possession of alcohol. 3 adults were cited for open containers downtown and an additional adult was arrested for public intoxication. The operation focused on the late evening of May 5th until a little after bar closing time (2:30 am) on May 6th.

Santa Cruz Police Minor Decoy Operation

On Tuesday, March 20, 2012 the Santa Cruz Police Department and state Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) participated in a minor decoy operation. The operation visited 21 off-sale alcohol establishments in Santa Cruz and had minor decoys attempt to purchase alcohol. In all, three businesses were cited for selling alcohol to minors. Below is a list of the cited businesses and those that did not sell to the minor decoy. 

Businesses that sold to the decoy:

Valero - 1319 Ocean St

7-11 - 2429 Mission St

DJ'S Mini Mart - 833 Water St.

The following businesses did not sell to the decoy:

Hernandez Market -Beach Market - Days Market - Rite Aid - 901 Soquel Ave. - Ernie's Liquor –

Lloyd's Liquor - The Grog Shop - Bonesio's - Rotten Robbie on Mission St - Trader Joe's - Mission Liquors - USave Liquors - Circle Market - Santa Cruz Market - Valero - 335 Mission St.  - Valero, 1516 Soquel Ave,

7-11 - 367 Ocean St - Ocean St Market and Deli.

Funding for these operations comes from a state ABC grant.

Undercover Decoy Sting - Alcohol Sales to Minor

On Friday August 26, 2011, the Santa Cruz Police Department conducted an undercover minor decoy sting at various alcohol outlets in the city. The program tests stores and restaurants for compliance with State alcohol sales laws and specifically to see if they will sell alcohol to an actual minor who is working with undercover officers at the time.

Several of the businesses targeted in this sting were identified as locations where teens believed they could purchase alcohol. The list was compiled in an anonymous survey of teens by the Santa Cruz County Alcohol and Drug Program. The police department completed compliance checks on 18 businesses in the city of Santa Cruz. Six of the businesses sold to the minor decoy.

The businesses that SOLD to the decoy are:

Costco Wholesale, 220 Sylvania Street
7-11, 602 Laurel Street
Buffalo Bell, 107 Leonard Street
Taqueria Vallarta, 608 Soquel Ave
Taqueria Santa Cruz, 1002 Soquel Ave
Taqueria Agave, 1836 Soquel Ave

The businesses that did NOT sell to the decoy are:

Parish Pub, 841 Almar
Mission Liquors, 2335 Mission St
Valero 2202, Mission St
Valero 1319, Ocean St
Hernandez Market, 525 Laurel St
Coasters Bar & Grill (Boardwalk Bowl), 115 Cliff St
Days Market, 526 Seabright Ave
Safeway, 117 Morrissey Blvd
Santa Cruz Market, 214 California Ave
La Esperanza Market, 1204 Mission St
CVS, 600 Front St
Taqueria Vallarta, 1221 Mission St

In June 2011, the Santa Cruz Police Department received a $45,000 grant from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for education, prevention and suppression activities. The police department will continue to conduct compliance checks of alcohol outlets throughout the next 12 months as part of a strategy to minimize underage drinking and the availability of alcohol to minors. Clerks that sell to the minor decoys are confronted by officers at the time of sale, and issued a citation for a violation of 25658(a) Business & Profession – Sales of Alcohol to a Minor. This violation has a base Bail amount of $3,400. Additionally, the store or restaurant faces administrative action from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

City Council Approves Acceptance of SCPD Grant from California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control

On Tuesday, the Santa Cruz City Council approved the acceptance of a $45,000 grant awarded to the Santa Cruz Police Department by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.  Alcohol-related arrests constitute the highest number of arrests in the City of Santa Cruz.  In fact, approximately 40% of all arrests made by the Santa Cruz Police Department have an alcohol component.  The greatest concentration of these arrests occur within the downtown corridor, a one square mile area with over fifty alcohol outlets in a census tract that suggests no more than eleven.  Unfortunately, a number of these arrests and alcohol-related problems are the direct result of over-serving, minors in possession of alcohol and binge drinking.  The Santa Cruz Police Department believes that an effective education and enforcement campaign will help address these issues.

In an effort to address these alcohol-related issues, the Santa Cruz Police Department applied for funding from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.  The competitive grant sought funding for education, prevention and enforcement activities related to alcohol.  Specifically, this grant funding will be used to help prevent minors from consuming alcohol, businesses from selling alcohol to minors and in the education of students and business owners around alcohol-related issues.  The Santa Cruz Police Department has received funding from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control in the past and has been noted as a model agency in terms of alcohol education.