By Robert Haugh

Santa Clara police caught two store clerks selling alcohol to under‑21 customers during a “Minor Decoy” sting on April 8.

Undercover teens, supervised by Santa Clara Police Department (SCPD) agents, tried to buy booze at six licensed shops. Four clerks passed the test. Two did not.

The penalty for a first offense is steep: at least a $250 fine plus 24–32 hours of community service. The business itself can also lose big—state regulators can levy fines, suspend the alcohol license, or yank it for good.

“Conducting these operations helps us cut underage drinking and keep the public safe,” Police Chief Cory Morgan said.

ABC Director Joseph McCullough added a reminder for retailers: “Always check IDs. Keeping alcohol out of underage hands makes our roads and neighborhoods safer.”

Federal crash data backs them up. Drivers under 21 are far more likely to be involved in fatal wrecks, and alcohol plays a role in roughly a quarter of those crashes.

Minor Decoy stings have been legal statewide since the 1980s. Back then, as many as half of the stores checked sold to minors. Cities that run regular stings now report violation rates below 10 percent.

SCPD’s latest operation was funded by a grant from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s Alcohol Policing Partnership program.