ABC Revokes Liquor License

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Monday, December 14, 1998
ABC Revokes Liquor License

Los Angeles – The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and the Los Angeles Police Department today revoked the liquor license of a Los Angeles bar for repeated violations of illegal solicitation of alcoholic beverages. The two departments posted a revocation notice on the Muse Salon and Café Muse at Fifth and Vermont in Los Angeles.

The revocation was another example of how the two agencies have worked together to reduce alcohol related crime in the City of Los Angeles through funding from the Grant Assistance to Local Law Enforcement (GALE) Program.

During the current fiscal year program, from July to October, the Los Angeles Police Department’s ABC grant program has resulted in over 3,800 arrests, and $1 million dollars in local and state fines involving liquor licensees in the City of Los Angeles. Today’s license revocation was the 31st business closed due to enforcement actions by the LAPD’s Operation ABC.

In praising the LAPD’s GALE Grant Program, ABC Director Jay Stroh said, "While less than five percent of liquor licensees violate state law, that small minority creates a large law enforcement problem for local police and sheriffs departments. The LAPD has done an outstanding job in reducing crime in neighborhoods that have been impacted by bad bars and liquor stores."

Mayor Richard Riordan, who was instrumental in gaining the GALE grant for LAPD, said, "The partnership we’ve developed with the State has done much to increase the effective use of our law enforcement resources, reduced alcohol-related crime, and created a more efficient use of taxpayer funds. The results have been reduced calls for service and improved conditions in neighborhoods which have been plagued by violence and crime, with alcohol being one of the root causes."

LAPD Detective Rick McElroy said in addition to cracking down on hard core criminal activities and illegal solicitation of alcohol, the grant program has had a significant reduction of the availability of alcohol to minors resulting from Minor Decoy operations targeting stores that sell to minors, and Shoulder Tap operations that focus on adults who purchase alcohol for the minors.

Said McElroy, "I believe we’ve saved some teenage lives by reducing the availability of alcohol to people under 21. Statistics indicate drunk driving accidents and deaths of all ages are down in Los Angeles, and we hope to continue that trend with this third year of GALE funding."

The LAPD received a $100,000 GALE grant for the current fiscal year, and is the third year in a row the City of Los Angeles has received the grant. Statewide, 19 law enforcement agencies have received grants up to $100,000 with $1.5 million committed to the GALE Program for the current fiscal year.

Additional Information:
ABC Shuts Down Los Angeles Bar

For Release 3:40 pm PST
December 14, 1998