The Redlands, CA, police have proposed banning bars, restaurants, breweries, and other venues from serving alcohol after midnight to reduce crime.
However, the ban would not affect grocery stores or convenience stores since that alcohol will be consumed off the premises.
California law doesn’t allow alcohol sales after 2 AM.
Redlands Police Deputy Chief of Operations Jeremy Floyd told the City Council that late-night alcohol sales have caused the rise in crime in the last three years.
Police say they “have responded to more than 1,000 calls for service.” From NBC LA:
Authorities say the problem ranges from loitering and businesses overserving customers to more violent crimes.
“Over the last three years, we had 44 assault reports, 13 robberies and shootings and weapon violations,” city spokesperson Carl Baker said.
Police added that the late-night calls take up most of the department’s resources, which leaves it thin to respond to other emergencies.
Baron Bowman of Redlands Underground Restaurant and Bar is one owner pushing back on the ban.
Bowman said the bars see most of their customers after midnight, which means a “ban would have a major economic impact on the area.”
“It’s not fair to put businesses out of business,” Bowman said, according to NBC LA. “People aren’t here to eat at midnight, typically. They go to Denny’s.”
Bowman pointed out that the problems have nothing to do with what happens inside the premises. The problem is on the streets.
“People drinking out of liquor bottles and smoking blunts and fighting and smashing bottles in the parking garage,” Bowman added. “If someone never comes to a bar, it’s not my responsibility if people are partying in the streets.”
It seems like most of the problems would come from alcohol sold at grocery and convenience stores. Yet the proposal does not apply to those establishments.
Three Stags Irish Pub owner Nick Robinson claimed the ban “would cost the business an estimated 6% to 7% of its revenue and could force reductions among its 32 employees.”
The Redlands Planning Commission put the proposal on hold with a 7-0 vote. The members want the city staff to provide more details along with data from similar policies in other states.
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