In 2018, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office was awarded a $100,000 grant from the California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to battle alcohol-related crime.  The funds are used to boost enforcement efforts in the Isla Vista and Goleta communities. The goal is to reduce the number of alcoholic beverage sales to minors, illegal solicitations and possession of alcohol, as well as other criminal activities involving alcohol consumption and abuse.

Recently Sheriff’s Deputies and ABC Agents conducted two ABC grant funded operations in the Goleta and Isla Vista areas. On November 30, ABC Agents and Sheriff’s Deputies used a minor decoy to contact over 100 subjects at seven different locations and solicited them to purchase alcohol for the minor decoy. Three subjects were cited for furnishing alcohol to a minor. Charges were also sought on two individuals for violation of resisting, delaying, and obstructing an investigation and another for being a felon in possession of pepper spray. On December 1, ABC Agents and Sheriff’s Deputies used a minor decoy to enter 15 different locations that sell alcohol in the Goleta and Isla Vista areas. Four of the establishments that the minor decoy entered sold an alcoholic beverage to the minor. Criminal charges were sought against the clerk/employee for furnishing/selling alcohol to a minor and referrals were sent the Ventura California Alcoholic Beverage Control Office for review for administrative actions against the businesses.

These operations were made possible by grant monies paid to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office by the California Alcoholic Beverage Control Department for directed enforcement. ABC is a Department of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.

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