Law Enforcement Stings Coming To Canyon Lake, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Residents and businesses in Canyon Lake, Lake Elsinore and Wildomar can expect to see crackdowns in the coming months on alcohol-related crimes, including furnishing minors with booze, Lake Elsinore Sheriff's Station Captain J. Rayls announced Wednesday.

A $40,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and administered by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control will be used to fund operations across the cities, Rayls said.

Among the planned operations are stings utilizing underage decoys. Under law enforcement supervision, the decoys will attempt to buy alcohol from local retailers and/or ask adult patrons at stores to purchase for them.

Other planned operations include boosting enforcement on local roads during holidays as well as ensuring merchants follow state/local laws as they pertain to alcohol.

The operations are intended to battle alcohol-related harm, according to Rayls.

"This is important to the cities of Canyon Lake, Lake Elsinore, and Wildomar in order to increase protection for youth and to hold accountable problem locations that contribute to an increase in crime," the captain said.

The law enforcement operations will include sheriff's deputies and ABC agents.

"These grants help improve the quality of life in neighborhoods by addressing alcohol-related concerns," said ABC Director Joseph McCullough.