Eureka Police Department press release: 

On 9/19/2015, the Eureka Police conducted a program called a Decoy Shoulder Tap Operation which targets adults who purchase alcohol for people less than 21 years of age.  Under the program, a minor under the direct supervision of a peace officer will stand outside a liquor or convenience store and ask patrons to buy them alcohol.  The minor indicates in some way he or she is underage and cannot purchase the alcohol.  

If the adults agree to purchase alcohol for the minor, officers then arrest and cite them for furnishing alcohol to the minor.  The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1000 fine and 24 hours of community service.  

The program is intended to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors.  Statistics show they generally have a higher rate of drunken driving crashes than adults.  Studies also show the combination of alcohol and youth tends to increase criminal conduct.  According to the American Medical Association, underage drinking can increase chances of risky sexual behavior and teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, compromise health, and result in unintentional injury and death.

Stephen Allen Burrous, 27 years old, of Eureka was arrested during the operation for furnishing alcoholic beverages to the minor decoys.

During the operation, officers viewed a woman in an altercation with employees of a grocery store. Upon investigation it was determined the woman had been suspected of stealing items from the store and was refusing to return the merchandise. Angela Sue Clark, 34 years old of Eureka, was arrested for shoplifting, providing false identification to police, and bringing a controlled substance into a detention facility. She was also determined to have warrants for her arrest once her true identity was confirmed.

This project is part of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s Minor Decoy / Shoulder Tap Grant Project, funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.