LAKEPORT, Calif. — The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, or ABC, said it has awarded a $3.73 million grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to help curb underage drinking and educate licensees about alcoholic beverage laws.

Grant funding will also support 27 local law enforcement agencies with up to $40,000 each to combat alcohol related harm within their communities through ABC education and enforcement programs.

That’s added to 26 agencies that received awards last year, including the Lakeport Police Department.

“ABC is grateful for the continued partnership and support from OTS and NHTSA,” said ABC Director Joseph McCullough. “The resources provided to us through this grant will help reduce youth access to alcohol and increase safety in communities throughout California.”

The grant will run through the end of September 2025. ABC programs funded through the grant include minor decoy and shoulder tap operations, fake identification enforcement, compliance checks involving alcohol delivery services, designated special events where alcohol is served, underage retail theft, maximum holiday enforcement, Informed Merchants Preventing Alcohol-Related Crime Tendency inspections, Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drug trainings and Target Responsibility for Alcohol-Connected Emergencies investigations.

The local law enforcement agencies who have been selected by ABC to receive grant funding for 2024-25 are as follows.

Alhambra Police Department (Los Angeles Co)
Anaheim Police Department (Orange Co)
Arvin Police Department (Kern Co)
Blythe Police Department (Riverside Co)
Buena Park Police Department (Orange Co)
Capitola Police Department (Santa Cruz Co)
Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office (Contra Costa Co)
Corona Police Department (Riverside Co)
Davis Police Department (Yolo Co)
El Centro Police Department (Imperial Co)
Emeryville Police Department (Alameda Co)
Kings County Sheriff’s Office (Kings Co)
Lodi Police Department (San Joaquin Co)
Manteca Police Department (San Joaquin Co)
Menifee Police Department (Riverside Co)
National City Police Department (San Diego Co)
Oakland Police Department (Alameda Co)
Pomona Police Department (Los Angeles Co)
San Jose Police Department (Santa Clara Co)
San Pablo Police Department (Contra Costa Co)
Simi Valley Police Department (Ventura Co)
South Lake Tahoe Police Department (El Dorado Co)
Stockton Police Department (San Joaquin Co)
Sutter Creek Police Department (Amador Co)
Tulare Sheriff’s Office (Tulare Co)
Westminster Police Department (Orange Co)
Windsor Police Department (Sonoma Co)

Last year’s grant recipients included the following agencies.

Corona Police Department (Riverside Co)
Costa Mesa Police Department (Orange Co)
Davis Police Department (Yolo Co)
Emeryville Police Department (Alameda Co)
Escondido Police Department (San Diego Co)
Folsom Police Department (Sacramento Co)
Gardena Police Department (Los Angeles Co)
Hermosa Beach Police Department (Los Angeles Co)
Hollister Police Department (San Benito Co)
Lakeport Police Department (Lake Co)
Milpitas Police Department (Santa Clara Co)
National City Police Department (San Diego Co)
Oxnard Police Department (Ventura Co)
Pasadena Police Department (Los Angeles Co)
Pomona Police Department (Los Angeles Co)
Redlands Police Department (San Bernardino County)
Rio Del Police Department (Humboldt Co)
Riverside County Sheriff’s Office - Lake Elsinore Station (Riverside Co)
San Jose Police Department (Santa Clara Co)
San Luis Obispo Police Department (San Luis Obispo Co)
Sanger Police Department (Fresno Co)
Santa Maria Police Department (Santa Barbara Co)
Soledad Police Department (Monterey Co)
Tulare County Sheriff’s Office (Tulare Co)
Turlock Police Department (Stanislaus Co)
Westminster Police Department (Orange Co)

Editor’s note: ABC issued an update on Friday that said that while Lakeport Police’s grant was among the recent grantees, it was not from the most recent group, which was not in the original press report. This story has been updated accordingly.