Roseville, Calif.- On Tuesday evening, April 15, Roseville Police Department Crime Suppression Unit officers conducted a “Shoulder Tap” operation. Minors under the age of 21, working under the direct supervision of Roseville Police officers, stood outside alcohol-selling stores, money in hand, asking customers outside the store to purchase alcohol for them. Adults who purchased alcohol and gave it to the minors were then contacted by police officers and cited for furnishing alcohol to minors.
On Tuesday the Shoulder Tap team worked outside two different alcohol-selling stores in Roseville. The minors asked eleven adults to buy alcohol for them, and four adults agreed. Those four adults were cited immediately afterwards for furnishing alcohol to minors. One of the adults, Devin Hone, 22, of Sacramento, had driven his vehicle to the store and appeared to be under the influence of marijuana. He was arrested on suspicion of DUI, driving while suspended, furnishing alcohol to a minor, and a Placer County bench warrant for driving while suspended. He was booked and has since been released from the Placer County Jail on a promise to appear.
During a similar operation last week, the Shoulder Tap team found far fewer adults willing to purchase alcohol for the minors. On the evening of April 8, underage minors stood outside alcohol-selling stores and asked approximately 100 adults to purchase alcohol for them. Only one of the adults purchased beer for the minors. He was cited for furnishing alcohol to a minor, and also arrested on a Santa Clara County warrant.
Adults face serious consequences for furnishing alcohol to minors. Adults convicted of furnishing alcohol to minors are subject to a $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service. “Furnishing” includes either giving alcohol to minors, or buying it for them. Adults may be held responsible whether the furnishing occurs in private homes, or in businesses or other public places. If the minor drinks the alcohol and then gets injured or dies, or causes injury or death to anyone else, the adult who furnished the alcohol to the minor can go to jail for six months to a year.
Anyone with information about a Roseville area location where minors are obtaining alcohol is asked to call the Roseville Police Department Crime Suppression Unit at (916)746-1072.
Funding for Roseville Police Department’s Shoulder Tap operations is provided by a grant from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). The purpose of the Shoulder Tap program is to reduce underage drinking by discouraging adults from furnishing alcohol to minors.
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