Council Will Discuss Liquor Rules
The governing body will hold a discussion tonight on how to get a better grip on the status of the city's bars and clubs when they come up for annual license renewal.
For the 2008 renewals, council members expressed frustration with police reports on incidents at the bars and clubs, in part because everything from alarms to fights was listed on the same response form. The volume of incidents alone did not indicate what the council wanted to know, which was the number of crime- or drug-related events that might impact license renewal.
Tonight's discussion will seek to find ways to keep track of disciplinary proceedings against license holders as well as recommendations leading to "critical objective review" of license holders at renewal time. The goal is to eliminate chronic violators and "unscrupulous licensees."
In addition, the council will seek uniform closing times "to eliminate bar-hopping."
Each licensed establishment is subject to a police inspection before the June renewal season. License holders must also be free of state tax violations. The council is the local Alcoholic Beverage Control board and is empowered to hold hearings on violations such as service to minors, drug activity, prostitution and other crimes on the premises. License holders in the past have suffered suspensions imposed by the council, but offenses must be carefully investigated and proven. Licenses have also been renewed with conditions, such as security and anti-drug training for employees.
Flor Gonzalez, president of the Latin American Coalition, recently complained about violent crimes related to alcohol consumption, but off-premise crimes have been hard to pin on bar owners.
As listed in the Municipal Code, bar and club hours are from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Sunday. Hours on New Year's Eve are from 1 p.m. to 5 a.m. Clubs are supposed to serve members and guests only and must maintain a log.
The 2 a.m. closing on Saturdays were often followed by large gatherings at Park Avenue restaurants, requiring police to respond to disperse the crowds. Gunfire was common and several shootings and homicides took place at or near Park & Fifth. At other locations, patrons have been mugged or killed as they made their way home.
The council has sought to reduce the number of places where alcohol can be purchased or consumed and even has the power to buy out an establishment, but the city still has more per capita than allowed by state guidelines because existing places were "grandfathered" in when the state limits were passed.
--Bernice Paglia
For the 2008 renewals, council members expressed frustration with police reports on incidents at the bars and clubs, in part because everything from alarms to fights was listed on the same response form. The volume of incidents alone did not indicate what the council wanted to know, which was the number of crime- or drug-related events that might impact license renewal.
Tonight's discussion will seek to find ways to keep track of disciplinary proceedings against license holders as well as recommendations leading to "critical objective review" of license holders at renewal time. The goal is to eliminate chronic violators and "unscrupulous licensees."
In addition, the council will seek uniform closing times "to eliminate bar-hopping."
Each licensed establishment is subject to a police inspection before the June renewal season. License holders must also be free of state tax violations. The council is the local Alcoholic Beverage Control board and is empowered to hold hearings on violations such as service to minors, drug activity, prostitution and other crimes on the premises. License holders in the past have suffered suspensions imposed by the council, but offenses must be carefully investigated and proven. Licenses have also been renewed with conditions, such as security and anti-drug training for employees.
Flor Gonzalez, president of the Latin American Coalition, recently complained about violent crimes related to alcohol consumption, but off-premise crimes have been hard to pin on bar owners.
As listed in the Municipal Code, bar and club hours are from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Sunday. Hours on New Year's Eve are from 1 p.m. to 5 a.m. Clubs are supposed to serve members and guests only and must maintain a log.
The 2 a.m. closing on Saturdays were often followed by large gatherings at Park Avenue restaurants, requiring police to respond to disperse the crowds. Gunfire was common and several shootings and homicides took place at or near Park & Fifth. At other locations, patrons have been mugged or killed as they made their way home.
The council has sought to reduce the number of places where alcohol can be purchased or consumed and even has the power to buy out an establishment, but the city still has more per capita than allowed by state guidelines because existing places were "grandfathered" in when the state limits were passed.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 2:08 AM
2 Comments:
Alcohol consumption is a big problem, but putting the blame entirely on "alcohol consumption" as the main problem as Flor Gonzalez states is absurd! There are drunk and sober people who kill, mug or assault people. Every single race, color and religion has it's good and bad and as it amirable that Flor Gonzalez advocates for the illegal immigrants in this country, doesn't she realize that she is advocating for illegal murderers, muggers, rapist or petifiles to remain here? She can say that they should have the right to be here, but if that's the case than they should be held accontable for their actions just as the legal people in this country are. That is the reason that these illegal immigrants need to seek a way to become legal and that's what she should be advocating for, for them to become legal in this country so they can pay tax for once and be trackable and accountable for their actions, not advocating for them to have the same rights as us, we are legal, they're not!!!!
Dear Bernice,
The City of Plainfield can review the liquor licensing process to the cows come home. It is an annual affair with no substantive changes. Each year there are more opon-air bars. Plainfield police and Director MH give a wink wink to their existance. Just last Saturday night, I went to a party on the NJ Transit ROW (North Ave). Fresh Air, plenty of Corona and no Plainfield police. Can't beat that for a night on the town.
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