By Sameeha Jilani
Executive Theme Editor
Although running sting operations is a delicate process with little room for error, it is clear that the Manhattan Beach Police Department successfully avoids any potential issues through exhaustive preventative measures during each sting.
According to uslegal.com, a sting operation is a law enforcement technique that uses deception to catch a person committing a crime. In Manhattan Beach, Decoy Shoulder Tap sting operations are used to prevent underage drinking by sending minor decoys to ask adults to buy them alcohol.
A major criticism of sting operations is that they verge on entrapment in some cases. Entrapment occurs when law enforcement agents induce a person to commit a criminal offense that the person would have been unlikely to commit without the incentive from the police or when agents involved provide fraudulent information during the operation.
However, according to Sergeant Chris Vargas, the police officer in charge of the sting operation detail at the MBPD, minor decoys must provide their true age and identification if asked to during an operation. Ensuring that no fraudulent information is provided during an operation is a vital step in avoiding allegations of entrapment.
Additionally, according to Vargas, the police department performs background checks on its underage minor decoys before running Shoulder Tap sting operations.
Taking this preventative measure makes it clear that the police department is taking every precaution to avoid running afoul of federal laws regulating sting operations. Also, state courts have determined that minor decoy stings are not a violation of the law, validating the police department’s choice to use this method to prevent underage drinking.
The Shoulder Tap operations in Manhattan Beach are run alongside the California Bureau of Alcoholic Beverage Control due to a grant that is renewed every year. The ABC provides grants to local law enforcement to help regulate alcoholic beverage consumption by minors.
The ABC partnership further validates the police department’s use of minor decoy sting operations, as the operations are being sanctioned by a state bureau. Additionally, by expanding the purpose of the ABC grant, the police department is making a greater impact on underage drinking.
According to Vargas, sting operations run with the ABC focus on Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and El Segundo with the ABC, and each city’s police department collaborating throughout the process. Bringing together multiple law enforcement agencies increases the efficacy of the sting operations and brings consistent policy to the South Bay.
According to Vargas, who has been supervising this detail since 2004, the police department makes it a priority to publicize the results of the operations to the community. Vargas says that since he began supervising the program, the number of people who have failed the test has significantly dropped.
While the better results of the operation are a good sign, the fact remains that the reason for the lower numbers may be the publicity brought to the operations, which may lead to adults only buying alcohol for minors that they know. In cases such as this, the sting operations are not as effective.
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