Nearly 20% of American adolescents ages 12-20 reported alcohol consumption in 2015, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The Rancho Cordova Police Department (RCPD) and the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) are working to reduce that number in our community.

RCPD will work with ABC until the end of August in a coordinated effort to help reduce underage drinking and reduce youth access to alcohol through education and enforcement. RCPD and ABC will conduct several operations in the City of Rancho Cordova and its neighboring areas in Sacramento County that focus on businesses and individuals that provide alcohol to adolescents under the age of 21.

“I look forward to working with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to reduce underage drinking and its repercussions in our community,” said Rancho Cordova Police Chief Chris Pittman.

The operations, conducted by RCPD Problem Oriented Policing (P.O.P.) officers and ABC agents, consist of “shoulder taps” using minor decoys, or situations when adolescents stand outside of liquor stores or markets and ask adults to buy alcohol for them, as well as inspections of local businesses that hold ABC licenses. This project is part of ABC’s Minor Decoy/Shoulder Tap Grant Project, funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

For questions about this program, contact program coordinator Sergeant Claudio Sotelo at 916-875-5710 or at [email protected].