Letters
Drinking ups crime Dear ER: The Hermosa City Council made an unfortunate decision to liberalize our alcohol permit process. Drinking establishments automatically receive “Alcohol by Right” permits without public hearing and without obtaining a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) if they close by 10 p.m. The “alcohol-related crimes” report (www.lapublichealth.org/epi/) issued this year by the County Department of Public Health simply confirmed what Hermosans know and regret. Higher densities of alcohol outlets make cities 9 to 10 times more likely to suffer increased crime rates. Hermosa has an on-premise alcohol outlet density 400% greater than the LA County average and ranks 1st among South Bay cities in per capita violent crimes. The Council’s decision made selling more alcohol easier, then they reduced the size of our police force. Our police tell us over-serving in bars over-crowded with under-aged drinkers plagues our downtown. But the indulgent “Alcohol by Right” policy deprives them of the robust enforcement actions available only through the CUP process. During the recent Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Debate only Councilman DiVirgilio attempted to defend his flawed “Alcohol by…
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