City Pulls Plug on Entertainment at Club

Westminster officials voted 3 to 2 Wednesday to revoke part of the conditional use permit of a restaurant that they say has turned into a nightclub requiring too much policing. But Vincent Dinh, owner of the MVP Sports Bar, said police have unfairly targeted his business.

The Planning Commission decision to revoke the permit amendment does not close the bar but prohibits it from having live bands, a deejay or other entertainment.

Westminster Police Det. Tommy Rackleff said the sports bar has been the scene of such disturbances and crimes as a recent assault with a deadly weapon, gang- and alcohol-related fights, underage drinking, drug use and cellular phone thefts.

Rackleff also displayed a photograph of a victim from a fight that occurred early Saturday morning that police believe involved gang members.

According to police, the sports bar is frequented by the Natoma Boys, based in Westminster, and a rival gang, the Orange Boyz.

Rackleff said he believes incidents involving gang members at the club will escalate. MVP employees add to the problem by not reporting incidents to police, he said. Instead, residents and others have had to call the police, Rackleff said. The injury from the fight Saturday was reported by hospital staff members, Rackleff said.

Dinh, who plans to appeal the commission decision to the City Council, said police officers have harassed him and his customers.

“Police [have] come to my place four times a day . . . and make my customers roll up their sleeves,” looking for gang-affiliation tattoos, he said. “Why don’t they do this at other American businesses?”

Dinh said he cooperated with the police when they conducted routine bar checks. During some checks, police said they found underage drinkers and drivers whose blood-alcohol level was above the legal limit leaving MVP.

The findings led to an audit of the bar by the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Department. Dinh’s liquor license requires that no more than 50% of his sales be from alcohol.

Dinh said the ABC cleared the bar last month of suspicion that it had violated conditions of the license.