Minor Decoy Operations (Compliance Checks)
- Server is cited if he or she sells alcohol to an underage youth working with law enforcement. Licensee is also penalized
- Standard operating procedures are very well developed
- Requires team of enforcement officers and recruiting youths
- Very effective when done relatively frequently
- Since minor decoy is an undercover operation, results of the operation are publicized following the operation. However, advance notice is often provided to alcohol-retailers that minor decoy operations are part of a new grant or ongoing strategy and with take place sometime in the future.
List of Minor Decoy Visibility
Any enforcement operation needs to be coupled with high visibility (publicity) in order to have a deterrent effect. For decoy operations, the audiences for this visibility are licensed owners and managers of alcohol outlets, along with their employees. An example of such visibility efforts might include letters sent out by the Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) office, alerting owners/managers that an enforcement operation will be undertaken in the near future. Visibility can also be achieved by arranging a news article after the enforcement operation that describes the operation and notes whether any licensees were out of compliance (i.e., sold alcohol to the minor decoy).