Compliance checks or "stings" are designed to ensure that retailers who are licensed to sell alcohol are not providing alcohol to minors.

Working with local law enforcement, youth go undercover to determine if alcohol retailers are selling to minors.

The police are undercover too and provide the money for the transaction. If a store sells to a minor, the police offer immediate sanctions to the clerk/ store.

A shoulder tap survey is designed to determine the social availability of alcohol to minors and determine if an adult stranger is willing to purchase alcohol for a minor.

Under the adult coordinator's supervision or local law enforcement, two to three youth stand outside an alcohol retail store and approach an adult. The youth clearly state they are underage and ask the adults to purchase alcohol for them.

In Albuquerque, local law enforcement combine compliance checks and shoulder tap operations and offer immediate sanctions to an adult who purchase alcohol for a minor.

During the year 2007 ~ 2008, 10 Youth in Action team members have worked in Compliance Checks and Shoulder Tap Operations with the Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico State Police SID and Santa Fe - Public Safety SID.
Sadly, more than 70 arrests were conducted during this period. We are striving for 100 percent compliance, because 100 percent compliance means young lives saved and injuries prevented.