MEDIA ADVISORY

On December 16, 2025, the San José Police Department arrested two adult suspects for furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors. The arrest was the result of a Shoulder Tap operation conducted in the city of San José.

Shoulder Tap operations target adults who purchase alcohol for underage people. A minor under the direct supervision of a peace officer stands outside a liquor or convenience store and ask patrons to buy them alcohol. The minor indicates in some way they are underage and cannot purchase the alcohol.

If an adult agrees to purchase alcohol for the underage person, Officers can arrest and cite them for furnishing alcohol to a minor. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service.

“We perform these operations to keep alcohol out of the hands of our youth,” said Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Director Joseph McCullough. “By preventing underage drinking we can increase the quality of life in our communities and reduce drunk driving crashes.”

Statistics show minors have a higher rate of drunk driving crashes than adults. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 25 percent of alcohol-related crashes involve underage drinking. According to the American Medical Association, underage drinking can also increase chances of risky sexual behavior and teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, compromise health, and result in unintentional injury and death.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the ABC Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) program, and also by a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Submit crime tips and remain anonymous by using the P3TIPS mobile app, calling the tip line at (408) 947-STOP, or on www.siliconvalleycrimestoppers.org. If the information you submit leads to an arrest, you are eligible for a cash reward from the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers Program.