The San José Police Department, along with the California Alcoholic Beverage Control, last week conducted a sting operation at four retail licensees to target the sale of alcohol to minors that resulted in one arrest.

The operation, known as a Shoulder Tap operation, targets adults who purchase alcohol for persons under the age of 21.

Here’s how it works: A minor under the direct supervision of law enforcement stands outside of a liquor or convenience store and asks customers to buy them alcohol. The minor also indicates they are underage and cannot purchase the alcohol.

“Underage drinking harms our community, "said San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph. "Preventing the sale of alcohol to minors will help to increase public safety and make our roads safer."

If an adult agrees to purchase alcohol for the underage person, they can be arrested and cited 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.

“ABC conducts these operations to keep alcohol out of the hands of our youth,” said ABC Director Paul Tupy. “We can increase the quality of life in our communities and reduce DUIs by preventing underage drinking.”

Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a much higher risk of being involved in a crash than older drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 25 percent of fatal crashes involve underage drinking.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from ABC through the department’s Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) program.