BREA : Effort to Stop Alcohol Sales to Minors Lauded

The city has been recognized by a community-policing group for a program that officials credit with reducing the sale of alcohol to underage drinkers.

“Here’s Looking at You, Kid,” a joint effort by Brea police, business leaders and school district parents’ groups in Brea and Yorba Linda, won a community partnership award last week from Orange County Together at a ceremony at the Disneyland Hotel.

The campaign “has really had quite an effect in the community” since its inception a year ago, Mayor Bev Perry said. “People are not selling alcohol to minors the way they used to.”

Under the program, police officers team up with other officials and parents to visit proprietors of establishments that sell liquor and urge them to participate, Perry said. The group distributes promotional posters, stickers and buttons for merchants to display.

In some cases, the group applies a bit of pressure, Perry said. “They would say, ‘We’re going to be looking for this information when we purchase items here, and if you don’t have it up, we’re going to ask why. And if you don’t support us, we may not support you.’ ”

According to police, several sting-type operations before the campaign resulted in about a 50% citation rate of merchants. After a few months of the program, that rate dropped to 16%, police said.

Orange County Together is a subcommittee of the United Way and the Orange County Human Relations Commission.