In 2001 Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department launched an anti-underage drinking initiative, including a Cops in Shops program in which undercover police officers posed as store clerks. The Century Council and the Hospitality Resource Panel engaged local distributors, Asian American merchants associations, the local restaurant associations, and the city’s office of Asian/Pacific Islander Affairs as partners. Because of racial tension in the city amongst Asian liquor store owners and mainly black residents, the involvement of the Asian merchants was especially important to the success of the project.