SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 1 VLLC AGENDA MARCH 14, 1996 ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT Date: January 24, 1996 Dept. File No.: PRA/vllc96.jan TO: Vancouver Liquor Licensing Commission FROM: Chief Constable SUBJECT: Requested Update on Licensed Premises within the Downtown Eastside to January 21, 1996 INFORMATION The Chief Constable submits this report for INFORMATION. COUNCIL POLICY There is no Council policy directly applicable to this matter. PURPOSE The purpose of this report is to provide the Vancouver Liquor Licensing Commission with an ongoing overview of the problems and issues concerning licensed premises, and the status of any enforcement or other activities. Licence suspensions and other observations are included from January, 1994, to date. SUMMARY A total of 12 liquor or business licences have been suspended a total of 16 times in the Downtown Eastside since the beginning of 1992. These suspensions are the result of a coordinated initiative by the Vancouver Police Department, other City Departments and the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch (LCLB) to ensure that licensed premises are operated in a responsible manner. BACKGROUND Licensed Premises are identified for inclusion in this report by: - having been the subject of a Liquor Control and Licensing Branch, Police, or City Council suspension; - being scheduled to appear at a Liquor Control and Licensing Branch Hearing or Council Show Cause Hearing; - having a significant number of police calls or incidents, other than of a routine or positive nature; - having a significant incident occur in, or in relation to the operation of, the premises; or - being the subject of complaints from the public to the police regarding the operation of the premises. LICENSED PREMISES 1. Anchor Cabaret, 99 Powell Street (now renamed Senorita Frogs) - Mar 94: fire exit light out, no name tags - Sep 94: lack of control - Oct 94: suspension, twenty-four hours by police; overcrowding, lack of control - Mar 95: disturbances on the street, noise complaints - May 95: disturbances on the street, noise complaints - Oct 95: noise complaint, overcrowded (450), patrons gathered on sidewalk requiring police action to clear street at closing - Nov 95: noise complaint, serving after closing time - Dec 95: male shot in altercation - Attempt murder charges laid noise complaint x 2 - advised 2. Astoria Hotel, 769 East Hastings Street - Jan 94: under-age patron - May 95: liquor seized for analysis - Sep 95: evidence of Sec.7, LCLA (repouring) 3. Balmoral Hotel, 159 East Hastings Street - Jan 94: under-age patron drinking in the bar - Feb 94: several drunk patrons - Mar 94: minor in premises, over-service - Jul 94: no rear door control - Aug 94: suspension by City Council, two months, over-service, lack of control - May 95: liquor seized for analysis - Sep 95: evidence of Sec.7, LCLA (repouring) - Jan 96: disturbance - resolved 4. Blarney Stone, 216 Carrall Street - Jan 94: overcrowding - Jan 94: suspension, ten days, overcrowding - Jan 94: suspension, five days, overcrowding 5. Brandiz Hotel, 122 East Hastings Street - Jan 94: drug use in washroom, drunk patrons - Mar 94: fight, no door control - Aug 94: no door control, lack of control, fight - Sep 94: drug use at a table - Oct 94: assault - staff member not cooperative, under-age persons in premises - Jan 96: fight call 6. Cobalt Hotel, 917 Main Street - Mar 94: dirty washrooms - May 95: cigarettes seized 7. Columbia Hotel, 303 Columbia Street - Mar 94: stabbing occurred, no staff witnesses - Apr 94: drugs used in washrooms - Jul 94: drunks sleeping, lack of control, no door co nt ro l, st af f wi th ou t ID ta gs . - Nov 94: drug use 8. Dominion Hotel, 210 Abbott Street (Lamplighter Pub) - Mar 94: suspension, one day, overcrowding - Sep 95: suspension, five days, serving minors 9. Drake Hotel, 606 Powell Street - Jun 94: confrontation during arrest of patron - Nov 95: enforcement hearing re table dancers 10. Hildon Hotel, 50 West Cordova Street (50 Bourbon Street Pub) - Jul 94: assault with beer glass, drug use in washroom 11. Ivanhoe Hotel, 1038 Main Street - Jan 94: five under-age patrons - Feb 94: off-duty doorman drunk and involved in fight, several drunks ejected - Mar 94: disturbance and over-service - Jun 94: two drunks, over-service - Nov 94: minors and drunks in premises - Dec 95: no door control, liquor served after hours -warning letter from LCLB 12. Metropole, 320 Abbott Street - May 95: cigarettes seized 13. New Dodson, 25 East Hastings Street - Feb 94: four drunks 14. Old American Hotel, 928 Main Street (previously the Vancouver Downtown Inn) - Feb 94: minors in premises, poor door control - Sep 94: suspension, two months,, and divest interest. possessing and selling liquor not purchased from the Liquor Distribution Branch (the suspension was upheld on appeal to the courts) Note: the licence has now been transferred to a new owner, and accordingly the suspension set aside. 15. Pennsylvania Hotel, 412 Carrall Street - Mar 94: over-service, no name tag - May 95: cigarettes seized 16. Pony's Cabaret, 313 Carrall Street - Jan 94: doorman interfering with police investigation 17. Rainier Hotel, 315 Carrall Street (Minto's Pub) - Jun 94: drug activity - Jan 95: minor in premises, lack of door control - Jul 95: poor door control 18. Regent Hotel, 160 East Hastings Street - May 94: no name tag, no door control - Aug 94: drug dealing in the pub - Oct 94: several drunks sleeping - Dec 94: minor in premises, intoxicated patrons, lack of door control. - May 95: liquor seized for analysis - Sep 95: evidence of Sec.7, LCLA (repouring) (Senorita Frogs - see Anchor Cabaret) 19. Sunrise Hotel, 101 East Hastings Street - Jan 94: intoxicated patrons and over-service - Feb 94: drug activity in premises, sale of property openly conducted in premises, continued service to disorderly patrons - Jul 94: over-service - Oct 94: suspension by City Council, one month, lack of control 20. Twilight Zone, 7 Alexander Street - Jan 94: overcrowding suspension of three weeks is under appeal 21. West Hotel, 488 Carrall Street - Apr 94: drug paraphernalia in washrooms - Oct 94: lack of control, over-service - Dec 94: staff assaulted patron All of the above observations have been communicated to the LCLB Senior Inspector who has issued warning letters or initiated a hearing. * * *