Altadena : Liquor Enforcement Urged
Disturbed by a recent shooting outside a neighborhood liquor store, the Town Council voted 12 to 0 Tuesday to urge that the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the county Board of Supervisors and the Regional Planning Department strictly enforce licensing laws in Altadena and revoke licenses where appropriate.
Councilman Steven Lamb said that the unincorporated area, in which there are 27 liquor licensees, has a higher percentage than is normal for its population, contributing to crime.
But, Judy Matty, an official of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, said that other than prosecute for sales to minors, there’s little the state can do.
“We can’t blame the licensee for what his customer does,” she said, “And we must have specifics in order to prosecute.”
Shifting the burden to the county, she said the best solution to the problem is to deny conditional-use permits.
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