Alcohol and teens. According to local police, it's a problem. It used to be that underage drinkers would get a hold of fake ID's, then store clerks selling to minors now many are getting alcohol using adults. NewsChannel 3's Carlos Delgado went undercover with the Indio police as they caught people breaking the law.
It's Friday night and these Indio police officers are heading out on a special detail. These cops are specifically targeting adults who help minors get beer. Police say this is the way now for those under 21 to get alcohol.
"We are going to have a minor decoy solicit adults and try to purchase alcohol in parking lots.”
Officer Luis Martinez runs the Indio P.D.'s alcohol program. This bust is called "shoulder tap," where a minor taps adults on the shoulder asking the adults to buy them beer.
Officer Martinez and his team do these busts regularly with the help of alcohol beverage and control investigators. Investigator Sean Ramos says it's a growing problem throughout the valley and explains how it's done.
"One of the main ways of getting alcohol these days, they don't go into stores anymore, they stand in front of liquor stores ask pedestrians to buy them alcohol."
This is 18 year old Marlena who volunteered to help the police with this operation.
"People need to open eyes and learn it’s not O.K."
Our cameras were there as the sting got underway. The first stop, a local liquor store.
The owner has placed these notices on the window of the store to warn people about the law. You can't miss them. They are right here as you walk in. Police say many businesses around the city seem to be following the law because they know officers are cracking down on those who sell or buy alcohol to minors.
"We are not here to disrupt people businesses we want them to be in compliance."
The police decoy stands in front of the store. Then, within minutes it happens.
The decoy asks a man to buy her a beer because she's not old enough. Soon, there's an exchange of money.
Minutes later, the man walks out with a 24 once can of beer. He gives the decoy the beer and then he tells her to walk away in another direction that's when police move in.
Officer Martinez explains to the man he's under arrest for buying a beer for a minor. He was arrested cited and released.
Jose has this message for others: "be careful."
"We are trying to discourage adults from doing this. It happens to all of us."
And police say the courts take this very seriously.
Later that same night, another stop. This time, it wasn't as easy for police to make a bust. The decoy tried several times and finally after about 20 minutes one man said yes.
Again, they exchange money and he walks into the store. Several minutes later he walks out with beer and boom, he's busted. The man says just don't do it, it’s not worth the headaches.
"Keep minors sober."
And while police continue these busts around the valley, they have this message: if kids ask you to buy beer just say no unless you want to end up like this.
"We want people to be good citizens and not provide alcohol to minors. It's not worth it."
Indio police aren't the only ones doing these underage beer stings. Other police around the county are getting similar grants from the alcohol beverage control to crackdown on this growing problem.
