SANTA ANA : All-Night Dance Hall Has Permit Revoked

An all-night dance hall that police have blamed for a high crime rate in a commercial area on the city’s southeast side has had its dance permit revoked this week by the City Council.

The decision was the second council defeat for Mr. J’s restaurant and bar, which earlier this year was denied the right to charge a cover fee. That council decision is being challenged in Superior Court.

Mr. J’s, at 2101 E. Edinger Ave., has been in the eye of a political storm since 1989, when the council voted 4-3 to approve an after-hours dance permit, allowing it to extend dancing at the club from 2 to 6 a.m. Opponents of the permit charged that the council vote was influenced by large political campaign contributions by the restaurant owners.

In recent months, the Police Department has recommended that the dance permit be revoked because of a rise in crime in the area. Between August, 1990, and November, 1991, police were called to the area 57 times for crimes, including murder, rape, armed robberies and public intoxication. Most occurred between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.

In a report to the council, a hearing officer appointed to take testimony from both sides upheld the police recommendation to discontinue the dance permit, in part because of Police Chief Paul M. Walters’ opinion that without the dancing, “there would not be the attraction of people from other counties” who create some of the problems. The report states that eight of 11 cars stolen from the area were recovered in South Los Angeles.

Owner Mohammad Johar and employees testified before the hearing officer that the business has been singled out by police because 60% of the clientele is black. Johar claimed that a police sergeant told him that “if he wanted to stay in Santa Ana, he would have to have white people in his club, not black people.”

In an effort to quell criticism, Johar said the business has increased security operations, including screening patrons with a metal detector.