Police complete ABC grant program aimed to reduce alcohol-related harm

Published on July 01, 2022

Menlo Park, Calif. — Menlo Park Police Department have completed a $70,300 grant from the California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to battle alcohol-related harm.

The grant resulted in 187 citations, increased visits to ABC licensed businesses and a stronger bond between citizens in the community and law enforcement.

Menlo Park Police Chief Dave Norris said, "We truly appreciate our partnership with ABC in these grants. We value the youth in our community. We know that these grants allow us to protect our kids from easy access to the dangers of alcohol. This partnership allows us to hold merchants and restaurants accountable to serving only our adult community, through a campaign of testing, educating, and enforcing appropriate alcohol service. "

The grant was one of nearly 50 awarded in California to local law enforcement agencies through ABC’s Alcohol Policing Partnership Program (APP).

The grant program has helped strengthen local law enforcement efforts by combining the resources of local police officers and ABC agents. ABC agents have expertise in alcoholic beverage laws and help communities reduce alcohol-related harm.

“The program improves the quality of life in neighborhoods,” said ABC Director Eric Hirata. “We’ve seen a real difference in the communities where the grant program resources have been invested.”

The APP Program was created in 1995 to strengthen partnerships between ABC and local law enforcement agencies. The program is designed to put bad operators out of business, keep alcohol away from minors and bring penalties such as fines, suspensions or revocations against businesses that violate the law.

The funds were used to reduce the number of alcoholic beverage sales to minors, obviously intoxicated patrons, illegal solicitations of alcohol, and other criminal activities such as the sale and possession of illegal drugs.

The APP Program has distributed approximately 50 million to local law enforcement to combat alcohol-related harm.

ABC is a Department of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.

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Contact:

Officer Galen Fliege
gpfliege@menlopark.org
650-330-6300