BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The Bakersfield Police Department has been awarded a $99,661 grant from the California Alcoholic Beverage Control to battle alcohol-related crime.

The grant is one of 50 awarded in California to local law enforcement agencies through ABC’s Alcohol Policing Partnership Program. The grants strengthen local law enforcement efforts by combining the efforts of local police officers and ABC agents.

The program is designed to put bad operators out of business, keep alcohol away from minors and bring penalties such as fines, suspensions or revocations against businesses that violate the law.

The Bakersfield Police Department Vice Unit will use the funds to reduce the number of alcoholic beverage sales to minors, obviously intoxicated patrons, illegal solicitations of alcohol and other criminal activities such as the sale and possession of illegal drugs in and around ABC licensed establishments.