Originally published as a San Diego County Sheriff’s Department press release –
“The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department teamed up with the San Diego Police Department and the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) for a joint drunk decoy operation in Encinitas and San Diego on Saturday, December 19th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
For photos of today’s operation, follow the Sheriff’s Department on Twitter: @SDSheriff. To download an interview with Sheriff’s Lieutenant Matthew Glisson, as well as broadcast quality b-roll, click on this link: https://spaces.hightail.com/space/NTQBjuG2pY.
An undercover deputy or officer entered a licensed establishment and acted obviously intoxicated. They smelled of alcohol, stumbled into the store, slurred their speech, dropped items, bumped into displays, etc. They then tried to purchase alcohol.
It is a misdemeanor in California to sell alcohol to someone who is obviously drunk. If the clerk sold alcohol to the undercover deputy or officer, members of the law enforcement team entered the store to explain the dangers to public safety, as well as the potential criminal, civil and administrative penalties.
A total of eight locations were visited during the drunk decoy operation. Five businesses sold alcohol to the decoys.
The operation was for educational purposes only and no enforcement action was taken. It is part of a $100,000 grant the Sheriff’s Department received from ABC. These grants will continue to fund operations through June 2021.
Today’s operation was aimed at keeping the public safe from impaired drivers and preventing other alcohol-related incidents.”
