YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - Sutter County Sheriff’s Office announced they have been awarded a $60,000 grant from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to reduce alcohol-related harm in their community.

“This is important to the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office in order to increase protection for youth and to address crime at problem locations,” said Sheriff Brandon Barnes.

The grant is one of nearly 49 awarded in California to local law enforcement agencies through Alcoholic Beverage Control’s Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) program.

These grants strengthen local law enforcement efforts by combining theirs with Alcoholic Beverage Control agents who have expertise in alcoholic beverage laws to help reduce alcohol-related harm within their community.

“The Alcohol Policing Partnership program can improve the quality of life in neighborhoods,” said Alcoholic Beverage Control Director Joseph McCullough.

“We’ve seen a real difference in the communities where the grant program’s resources have been invested.”

The Alcohol Policing Partnership program was created in 1995 to strengthen partnerships between Alcoholic Beverage Control and local law enforcement agencies. The program is designed to keep alcohol away from minors and prevent harm to the community.

The funds will be used to help prevent alcoholic beverage sales to minors and obviously intoxicated patrons, illegal solicitations of alcohol, and other criminal activities such as the sale and possession of illegal drugs.

The Alcohol Policing Partnership program has distributed approximately $2,999,428 million to local law enforcement to combat alcohol-related harm.