On March 28, members of the Mount Vernon District Stations Neighborhood Patrol Unit, along with a member of the Traffic Safety Services Unit, conducted a Shoulder Tap operation in the Mount Vernon District.

This undercover operation is part of the ongoing Youth Alcohol/Business Compliance enforcement campaign. Fairfax County police cadets dressed in plain clothes attempted to have adults purchase alcohol for them in violation of Virginia State Code 4.1-306. The locations of enforcement for this operation were parking lots of businesses that possess state ABC licenses to sell alcoholic beverages.  The cadets were advised to approach adults in the parking lots and ask them to purchase alcohol for them. If asked by the adult if they were 21, the cadets were told to respond with their true age. If the illegal purchase of alcohol took place, a plain clothes officer watching the transaction would intervene.  Appropriate charges would then be placed.

As a result of this operation, 39 adults were approached. Four arrests were made for illegal purchase of alcohol at the following locations:

Super Mini-Mart          8792 Sacramento Drive           1 Arrest

7-Eleven Store           2345 Huntington Avenue          1 Arrest

7-Eleven Store           2405 Fairhaven Avenue           2 Arrests        

The Shoulder Tap operation was conducted using two teams, each consisting of one cadet, two plain clothes officer and two uniformed officers serving as team security.