On Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to revoke the conditional use permit to sell alcohol for the property at 3600 West Stocker Street, also known as the Liquor Bank. For years, residents have complained about the activities at this location, including drinking in public, the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors, attempted robbery, battery, on-site narcotics sales and use, gang activity, counterfeit goods sales and blighted property conditions.
“For nearly a decade, the Liquor Bank served as a hot spot of crime, drugs, and violence,” said Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson. “Today, we said enough is enough, our community deserves better.”
In 2009, after a flood of complaints and a hearing, the Liquor Bank was hit with 28 “corrective” conditions to keep their license and conditional use permit, including bonded guards, security lights, and placard signs for operation. In 2015, the case was reopened based on uninterrupted and unmitigated nuisance conditions and continued complaints from residents and LAPD. In 2017, the Liquor Bank was found to be in violation of 22 of the 28 conditions placed in 2009. Since the hearing earlier this year there were three violent crimes on the property among several other calls for LAPD service.
“In my tenure, in working in the Southwest Division one of the constants that have been coming through is the Liquor Bank,” said Detective Dana Harris the Officer in Charge of the Support and Vice Division Nuisance Abatement at Southwest Division.
“We as a community have not felt safe going down to the Liquor Bank for many many years”, said Keith Renty, President of the Baldwin Hills Homeowners Association. “With all the violations and opportunity to correct the nuisances there [and nothing changing], we support the revocation.”
The owner recently filed for bankruptcy, asking a judge to grant a restraining order against the City, undermining the City’s ability to protect the public safety of residents. A temporary restraining order was initially granted, then rescinded on Monday, opening up a path for the City’s actions.
