In observance of Alcohol Awareness Month, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) is highlighting a statewide program aimed at helping licensees stay in compliance and reduce alcohol-related crime.
IMPACT (Informed Merchants Preventing Alcohol-Related Crime Tendencies) works to enhance safety in local communities. Through this program, inspections of licensed premises are conducted to identify instances of non-compliance. Licensees are given an opportunity to correct violations to come into compliance before ABC initiates enforcement action.
“IMPACT’s goal is to work with licensees to reduce conditions that could lead to alcohol-related crime,” ABC Director Joseph McCullough said. “Addressing problems such as litter, graffiti, and loitering increase public safety and improve the quality of life in and around the licensed premises.”
The IMPACT program reminds licensees of the responsibilities and accountability associated with selling alcoholic beverages by identifying areas of non-compliance and providing crime prevention information before conducting follow-up visits to ensure correction. Many local communities have worked with ABC to conduct business inspections. IMPACT can improve the relationship between law enforcement and merchants.
ABC and local law enforcement agencies conducted 1,061 IMPACT inspections from July 2023 to March 2024.
Funding for the IMPACT program is provided by a grant from ABC through the department’s Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) program.