ABC/OTS Alcohol Enforcement Grant 2026

The Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) Program is administered by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). ABC is a special fund agency responsible for licensing, education, and enforcement related to alcoholic beverages across California. The agency’s mission is to provide the highest level of service and public safety for the people of the state. In 1995, ABC created the APP Program to strengthen enforcement against problematic alcohol outlets by partnering directly with cities and counties through targeted grant funding. This initiative grew from concerns that budget reductions in the early 1990s had shifted enforcement priorities away from alcohol regulation, even as problem outlets increasingly contributed to crime, underage drinking, and neighborhood decline. The purpose of the APP Program is to build an effective, comprehensive, and sustainable approach to addressing alcohol-related public safety issues. Grants are awarded to local law enforcement agencies, allowing them to expand enforcement and prevention strategies. The program aims to reduce crime and public nuisance issues related to problem alcohol outlets, improve neighborhood conditions, and enhance cooperation between ABC district offices and local jurisdictions. A central component is the institutionalization of best practices so that improvements last beyond the life of the grant. APP-funded projects incorporate multiple strategies including training, prevention, enforcement, records management, community involvement, and media engagement. Grant officers and local enforcement personnel receive training from experienced ABC agents in alcohol enforcement law, tactics, and license revocation procedures. Agencies are expected to implement prevention efforts, including the use of ABC’s LEAD and IMPACT programs, as well as community engagement initiatives such as citizen reporting and educational outreach. Enforcement tactics include undercover investigations, minor decoy operations, “Shoulder Tap” initiatives, and retail operating standards enforcement. Agencies also develop systems to track alcohol-related data and ensure compliance reporting to ABC district offices. The APP Program emphasizes measurable impacts in both quantitative and qualitative terms. Success is assessed by reductions in alcohol-related arrests, calls for service, citations, and nuisance conditions in neighborhoods with high concentrations of alcohol outlets. Local law enforcement and communities have reported positive outcomes, including improved neighborhood conditions and reductions in loitering, graffiti, and public intoxication. Media campaigns funded by the grant also contribute to deterrence and voluntary compliance among alcohol retailers. Funding for the APP Program is drawn entirely from license fees paid by the alcoholic beverage industry; no general fund dollars are used. Grants are competitive and awarded annually for the fiscal year. The current cycle runs through June 2025, with a new cycle beginning in July 2025. Applications must be submitted using current Request for Proposal (RFP) forms; prior year forms are not accepted because they may omit updated requirements. Agencies may apply individually or jointly with other small agencies, and past recipients remain eligible to apply in subsequent years. Agencies with ABC Mini-Grants are also permitted to apply for full APP grants. Eligibility is restricted to law enforcement agencies in California, including police and sheriff’s departments. The APP Program is not open to nonprofits, individuals, businesses, or other government types beyond local enforcement entities. Agencies must demonstrate capacity to collaborate with ABC district offices, collect and report alcohol-related data, and implement the APP strategies. The program supports both urban and rural communities, provided applicants show need and readiness to participate. Additional information and application support are available from the ABC Grant Coordinator, Kristine Okino, located at 3927 Lennane Drive, Suite 100, Sacramento, California 95834. She can be reached via email at kristine.okino@abc.ca.gov, by phone at (916) 419-2572, or by fax at (916) 419-2599. This contact serves as the primary point of communication for applicants seeking clarification about eligibility, requirements, or proposal submission.