Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On January 10, 2014, members of the Moorpark Special Enforcement Detail conducted an alcoholic beverage sting, using an adult decoy under the age of 21, in an attempt to purchase alcoholic beverages at retail establishments in the City of Moorpark. The goal of these operations is to limit the sale of alcoholic beverages to persons under the age of 21.

The decoy attempted to make purchases of alcoholic beverages at 18 locations throughout the City of Moorpark. Clerks and cashiers at all of the establishments turned the decoy away without selling alcoholic beverages.
According to the National Highway Traffic Association, one person died every 51 minutes in drunk driving crashes in 2012. In 2011, car crashes were the leading cause of death for teenagers, a quarter of which involved an underage drinker. In an ongoing effort to save lives and prevent underage drinking, the Moorpark Police Department Special Enforcement Detail will continue to conduct periodic sting operations to ensure retailers are doing their part to prevent minors’ access to alcoholic beverages in our community.

The Moorpark Police Department sees this operation as a success and commends the local retail businesses that were doing the right thing by not selling to our underage youth.

Nature of Incident: Alcohol Decoy Sting Operation
Location: Various Locations – City of Moorpark
Date & Time: January 17, 2014
Unit(s) Responsible: Moorpark Police Department Special Enforcement Detail
Prepared by: Deputy James McCollum
Media Release Date: January 17, 2014
Follow-Up Contact: Deputy James McCollum at (805) 532-2645
Approved by: Stephen Wade, Captain