A recent police sting found it’s not easy for underage teens to buy liquor in Thousand Oaks.

The Thousand Oaks Police Department and the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control joined with underage decoys to see if local businesses would sell liquor to customers under age 21.

They went to 15 locations in Thousand Oaks and five in Moorpark. In Thousand Oaks, none of the businesses sold to the decoys. All of the Thousand Oaks stores asked for identification and checked the decoys’ licenses.

Two of the Moorpark stores received citations, and the cashiers at those stores were arrested.

“We’re just trying to keep everyone honest,” said Thousand Oaks Police Sgt. Don Aguilar.

All of the liquor store locations in Thousand Oaks diligently checked identifications of those who were under 21, Aguilar said.

“We do the stings to control access of liquor to teens,” he said.

All communities have underage drinking, but police always try to reduce the number, Aguilar said.

The Moorpark liquor stores cited were the Wine Castle, 525 New Los Angeles Ave., and Campus Mini Mart, 6595 Collins Drive.

—Nancy Needham