Establishments pass Newport police sting

Newport Beach alcohol establishments scored 10 out of 10 Monday night.

In their fourth decoy sting operation this year, Newport Beach police visited 10 on-sale alcohol establishments on the east side of the city Monday night to see whether they would sell alcohol to minors.

All 10 refused to serve drinks to the minors, who were decoys. The sting, in which an 18-year-old police cadet and 16-year-old police explorer went into restaurants and bars in Corona del Mar and the business district near John Wayne Airport, is part of a larger operation ran by a Newport Beach detective assigned to enforce and train businesses on local and state laws related to serving alcohol.

“[Monday] night’s operation was a huge success in demonstrating the positive effects of the program,” said Sgt. Evan Sailor.

Police also run stings outside off-sale locations, where businesses sell alcohol to be consumed later. There, police use decoys to see whether customers will buy them alcohol they can’t legally purchase themselves.

— Joseph Serna