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ABC DEBRIEFER COMMITTED TO SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES Volume 16, Issue 1 July - September 2011 LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT OPERATION ABC Detective Support and Vice Division EETF Fines $40,000 / ABC Arrests 475 OPERATION ABC RECEIVES 16TH CONSECUTIVE GRANT Working to Enhance our Successes he California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) released the 2011/2012 Grant Assistance Program (GAP) recipients in July 2011 and awarded the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) its 16th consecutive grant. TAlcoholic Beverage Control Director Steve Hardy announced that a total of 46 agencies throughout California will be utilizing 2 million dollars to assist the Department of ABC to lessen the destruction that alcohol-related crime has on our communities. This year the LAPD received the maximum grant amount of $100,000. As a direct result of the GAP grant funding over the past 16 years, the LAPD has developed one of the most progressive ABC education and enforcement programs in the nation. This local, state, and nationally recognized unit has developed numerous innovative programs that have provided education to retailers, increased compliance rates and greatly reduced alcohol-related crime on a Citywide level. They have been directly responsible for educating in excess of 25,000 retailers regarding their role in promoting the responsible distribution of alcoholic beverages and the closure of 99 problematic ABC- licensed locations. Programs developed by Operation ABC, such as Standardized Training for Alcohol Retailers (STAR), the Pseudo-intoxicated Decoy program, the Responsible ABC Retailer project and Corporate Partners Program, have been embraced and emulated by law enforcement agencies across the country. Operation ABC personnel began the grant year by attending a three-day (July 19 - 21, 2011) conference in Sacramento, California. Sharing past successes, Operation ABC personnel provided training to conference attendees regarding the Pseudo-intoxicated Decoy program and the unique investigative techniques employed by the LAPD to combat the illegal solicitation of alcoholic beverages inside on-sale ABC licensed premises. The conference was also an excellent opportunity to network with agencies Throughout California and gain additional insight into methods of promoting OPERATION ABC COORDINATORS responsibilities retail ABC operations. Sergeant II Lifernando Garcia Operations-Central and South Bureau Sergeant II Steve Moore A key component to the success of past grants is Operation ABC's ability to Operations-West and Valley Bureau incorporate the modification of well established programs into an action plan Operation ABC designed to address identified ABC-related problems. This year's grant Detective Support and Vice Division Los Angeles Police Department application contained multiple mechanisms to focus on the problems 100 West 1st Street, Room 441 associated with alcohol-based energy drinks. It has been determined that Los Angeles, California 90012 many alcohol-based energy drinks have an appeal to underage individuals (213) 486-0910 (213) 486-0909 (fax) and are favored as the drink of choice to high school-aged youth unlawfully seeking alcoholic beverage products. To enlighten the retail community to For STAR training requests contact the problem associated with these products, a block of instruction pertaining your respective Geographic Vice Unit or Operation ABC to alcohol-based energy drinks will be added to the STAR core curriculum; minor decoy operations will be conducted at off-sale premises targeting Web Page: www.LAPDOnline.org these products; and an advisory addressing their identification will be Search: Vice Division disseminated to Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) high schools on a Citywide level. (Continue page 2) ABC Grant Renewal Continued from page 1 The 2011/2012 grant will also continue our efforts at eliminating the illegal solicitation of alcoholic beverages inside on-sale ABC licensed locations. Premises found to be contributing to alcohol-related crime problems due to their association to this illegal activity will be identified and targeted on a frequent basis. A block of instruction pertaining to the illegal solicitation of alcoholic beverages has been incorporated into the STAR curriculum, and published advisories are available in Spanish, Korean, and English. It is anticipated that our continued educational and enforcement efforts toward curtailing the illegal solicitation of alcoholic beverages inside on-sale licensed premises will help reduce crime and enhance the safety of our communities. Working to Enhance the Community Commitment to Leadership A Community Problems Unit Affair: Officer Michael Dickes (DSVD, CPU), welcomes participants to the first annual South Los Angeles Liquor Store Association Meeting. he first annual meeting of the South Los Angeles Liquor Store Association was held at the Torrance Doubletree Hilton Hotel, on June 25, 2011. Prompted by his experiences working with the Community Problems Unit (CPU), Detective TSupport and Vice Division (DSVD), association founder, Ray Yun, facilitated the event as a means of sharing the lessons learned during an abatement investigation at his property (see “Abatement Generates Profits,” pages 6 and 7). During the opening presentation, Yun enlightened the audience with his battles with City government after he unknowingly purchased property that was the subject of a nuisance abatement action. His initial thoughts were to fight the action; however, after careful reflection, Yun decided to invest in his newly acquired business (Pee Wee's Liquor), instead of paying the mounting legal costs to defend a pending civil case. In addition to enhancing his business and generating increased profits, a byproduct of the abatement investigation was the development of an extremely strong partnership with the DSVD, and the Community Problems Unit. Police Officer Michael Dickes (CPU, DSVD) became a guiding force in aiding Yun through the abatement process. The positive working relationship between Yun and Officer Dickes became the catalyst in Yun's forming of the South Los Angeles Liquor Store Association. Guest speakers at the event included the Honorable Janice Hahn, Los Angeles City Councilmember, 15th District, Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen A. Trutanich, and Carson City Mayor Jim Dear. Representing their respective municipalities, the three speakers addressed issues important to community growth and developing new business opportunities that can have a positive impact on surrounding neighborhoods. The esteemed speakers delivered a unified message of enhancing existing partnerships with local government to 200 retailers. Combined with Yun's experiences with the abatement process, the overall theme of the first annual meeting was one of business enhancement through personal responsibility and cooperation with local government. Operation ABC would like to commend Officer Dickes for his individual role in making the first annual meeting of the South Los Angeles Liquor Store Association a tremendous success. Without his guidance and assistance, this endeavor would not have been feasible. Officer Dickes' approach to problem solving not only eradicated community concerns associated with a problematic liquor store; but, in his approach to doing so, he turned the owner into a steadfast supporter of the CPU 2 abatement process. Today, Yun and DSVD work hand-in-hand to assist other retailers in navigating the abatement process through responsible ownership and establishing long-term working relationships with community stakeholders. The next annual meeting of the South Los Angeles Liquor Store Association is in the planning stages and is anticipated to occur in early 2012. With Officer Dickes' assistance, this too should be a tremendous success! ILLEGAL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE SOLICITATION ACCUSATIONS CAUSE TEMPORARY CLOSURES AT THREE LICENSED LOCATIONS A Focus of the 2010/2011 ABC Grant uring the past year, Operation ABC has been focusing enforcement efforts on curtailing the illegal Dsolicitation of alcoholic beverages inside on-sale ABC licensed locations. Three ABC administrative cases involving the illegal solicitation of alcoholic beverages were recently adjudicated and resulted in the temporary TOPANGA AREA LOCATION: The El Cielo Lounge received suspension of the licensees' privileges to sell alcoholic a 20-day suspension (to begin in December 2011), as a beverages. result of an LAPD illegal alcoholic beverage solicitation investigation . On August 30, 2011, the El Cielo Bar (20913 Vanowen Street, Canoga Park) received a 30-day suspension with a 3-year stayed-revocation order as a result of an illegal alcoholic beverage solicitation case made in November 2009. During the investigation, undercover officers arrested six individuals for their involvement in the illegal solicitation scheme. This location is currently the subject of a Citywide Nuisance Abatement Program (CNAP) investigation, due to ongoing nuisance activity deemed harmful to the safety of the surrounding community. Operation ABC has taken the lead on this investigation and is working closely with the FOOTHILL AREA PROBLEM PREMISES: The owner of Topanga Area Vice Unit and the CPU, DSVD, to rid the Dora's Nightclub will serve a 30-day ABC suspension and neighborhood of this nuisance property. faces the permanent loss of his license due to ongoing violations at the location. Illegal alcoholic beverage solicitation activity discovered at Dora's Place (8220 Sunland Boulevard, Sun Valley)