Fee Ordinance Decreases Alcohol Law Violations in Alameda County: An Environmental Strategy that has Worked!

Unincorporated Alameda County communities (UAC) have historically had an overconcentration of alcohol establishments. UAC communities have higher numbers of retailers selling to minors, adults buying alcohol for minors, and businesses being poor neighbors in the community. In 2006, Alameda County adopted the Alcoholic Beverage Sales Regulation Ordinance (ABSR), mandating an annual fee of $800 for every alcohol establishment in UAC. Since implementation, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) has consistently conducted minor decoy operations, shoulder tap operations, fee collections, responsible beverage service training (RBS) and annual inspections of all 134 establishments located in UAC. Financial penalties are assessed when an establishment is in violation of the ordinance. Evaluation results show an increase in law enforcement operations, increased compliance with payments and inspections (97% compliance with payments in 2010 and 100% inspections completed), a decrease in the number of businesses selling to minors (34% to 17% from 2008 to 2010), and an increase in the number of business employees' understanding of laws, with 99% of licensees attending RBS. The ABSR ordinance is an evidence-based model for other communities to increase enforcement, decrease retail access to youth and increase barriers to underage drinking. The UAC community has improved multiagency coordination and stakeholder collaboration as a result of implementing the ordinance. Relationships with local businesses have been reinforced, resulting in greater compliance with local and state laws. Crime data analyses have been conducted, correlating the ordinance's implementation with decreased violent crime rates. This presentation will describe the ABSR and outcomes of enforcement.