5 arrested in Menlo Park for allegedly furnishing minors with alcohol, police say

MENLO PARK, Calif. -- Menlo Park police and California Alcoholic Beverage Control agents arrested five residents for allegedly furnishing alcohol to minors on Saturday.

Law enforcement officials conducted a Decoy Shoulder Tap Operation in the general vicinity of Menlo Park. In the operation, a minor under the direct supervision of an officer stood outside a liquor store and asks adults to buy them alcohol, since they can't buy it themselves.

When an adult agreed to purchase alcohol, agents arrested and cited them. Furnishing alcohol to minors is a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service.

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The program was funded by a grant from the California Alcoholic Beverage Control and intended to reduce the accessibility of alcohol to minors.

Studies show that underage drinking produces higher rates of drunk driving crashes and a higher chance of criminal activities.

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