DATE / TIME: Friday, March 8th, 2019/ 3:00PM-8:00PM
LOCATION: Several tobacco licensed locations throughout Pomona.
CRIME: 308 (a)(1)(A)(i)PC, Furnish Tobacco To Minor
VICTIM: City of Pomona
UNIT: Pomona PD Officers funded by Proposition 56.
NARRATIVE:
On Friday, March 8th, 2019, members of the Pomona Police Department participated in a Tobacco Minor Decoy (Shoulder Tap) Operation conducted throughout the City of Pomona. A concerned effort is being made to reduce the availability of tobacco to minors, and Shoulder Tap Operations are a known method to reduce the availability of tobacco to minors.
One 19 year old minor, under the direct supervision of officers, was sent to various tobacco licensed locations throughout the city. The minor decoy waited outside the front door of each location and mentioned to patrons she was under the age of 21and asked if they could purchase tobacco products for her. The decoy contacted 23 adults and 5 offered to buy cigarettes for the decoy. After the tobacco was furnished to the minors the adults were detained. After they were positively identified they were issued citations for furnishing tobacco to a minor. All violators were released pending their court dates.
The decoy was also sent into two tobacco licensed businesses and attempted to purchase tobacco products. An employee of Jay’s Liquor, located at 1006 E. Second St, sold tobacco to the minor after failing to properly check the decoys age.
This project is part of the California DOJ Tobacco Grant Project, funded by the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tax Act (Proposition 56). The Pomona Police Department would like to remind everyone the legal age to buy/ possess tobacco in California is 21 and over.
Written by:
Sergeant Jon Edson
Pomona Police Department
