Redlands police used two 19-year-old women as decoys to catch three men who agreed to buy beer for the women, who volunteered for the Friday night shoulder-tap operation, a city spokesman said.
The three men, ages 21, 24 and 36, were cited and released, Redlands spokesman Carl Baker said.
The grant-funded operation was staged between 7 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. June 21, Baker said.
"Two 19-year-old female volunteers stood outside five local businesses on Brookside Avenue, Orange Street, State Street and Redlands Boulevard and offered to give people entering the stores money to buy beer," Baker said.
The men who were cited were from San Bernardino and Redlands, Baker said. The beer they purchased for the women was returned to the businesses for refunds.
The enforcement effort was funded by a $7,500 grant from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Baker said.
"The City Council accepted the $7,500 ABC grant Feb. 5 for the Police Department to conduct 'shoulder tap' operations as well as minor decoy operations, in which minors attempt to purchase alcohol from businesses," Baker said. "Since then, the Redlands Police Department has conducted several operations, including a shoulder tap operation on Feb. 23 that resulted in four arrests."
The grant also funded training for business owners put on by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and hosted by the Redlands Police Department, Baker said. The grant funding runs until the end of this month and covers overtime.
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