Northeast Valley : L.A. Targets Problem Liquor Stores, Bars

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday received a $100,000 grant to fund a special Los Angeles Police Department unit that will crack down on the profusion of problem liquor outlets in the northeast San Fernando Valley.

Bars, nightclubs, liquor stores and convenience stores that sell alcohol and are located in the LAPD’s Foothill Division will soon be subjected to the scrutiny of an “Operation ABC Los Angeles” coordinator, an LAPD sergeant who will work with vice officers in the Foothill Division to enforce alcohol laws.

The funds are provided by a grant from the state’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).

In addition to the Foothill Division in the Valley, LAPD’s 77th Division in south Los Angeles will also be patrolled by the new unit.

The area covered under the new program is located specifically within the Foothill Division, “but there are certain corridors that have a high concentration of liquor outlets, including Van Nuys Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard and San Fernando Road,” that will be closely monitored, said a spokeswoman for Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon, who helped obtain the grant funds.

The Operation ABC Los Angeles coordinator is expected to be hired within the next 60 days, the spokeswoman said.

The coordinator will investigate establishments that have a history of violations, such as selling alcohol to minors, permitting alcohol to be carried off site, continuing to serve liquor to visibly intoxicated people and permitting prostitution.