Police get grant to fight youth drinking

The Huntington Beach Police Department has successfully completed a yearlong program to combat underage drinking using a grant from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), police said Thursday.

Officers have spent the past year conducting both undercover and educational operations on establishments that “would tend to sell alcohol to minors,” a release said.

There were 20 undercover or sting operations conducted, in which 17 people were arrested and 70 citations were issued for selling alcohol to minors.

More than 200 ABC-licensed businesses were contacted to offer employee training on how to identify and prevent minors from purchasing alcohol. Two hundred police department employees also were trained on current ABC laws and enforcement procedures.

— Candice Baker