Alcohol: D.C. Might Tighten Law On Youths In Clubs

By Jonathan On Jul 5, 2017

Safety Updates

Study: Guns rampant in D.C. schools

2007-11-27
Dena Levitz, The Examiner
WASHINGTON – The number of male high school students who say they carry a gun in D.C. has doubled in the past two years, a new study shows.

High school and middle school students at D.C. public schools reported in a new nationally administered survey that they are having sex, using drugs and carrying weapons in greater numbers than when the last survey was taken two years ago.

But school officials say that in most cases, this year’s numbers remain far better than those that revealed a crisis among the city’s students a decade ago.

Nearly 58 percent of high schoolers said they had had sexual intercourse, up from 48 percent in 2005. And 31 percent of middle schoolers reported that they had ever had sex, which is 8 percent higher than two years earlier survey.

In 1997, however, a whopping 71 percent of high school students and 41 percent of middle school students said they were sexually experienced.

The findings come courtesy of the Center for Disease Control’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which every other year asks a sample of students about their habits in areas such as sex, smoking, drugs, depression and weapons possession.

In the District, the results — which have been kept relatively secret since being finalized this fall — will be shared with content experts, school counselors and state agencies, Diane Powell, assistant superintendent of student services. Powell said the goal of distributing the numbers was to help the people working with kids understand the plight of many young people today.

Overall, Powell focused in an interview with The Examiner on the fact that the findings are much more encouraging than in 1997, when nearly every category was at its peak.

But in comparing this report to 2005’s, there were spikes practically across the board. They include the fact that:

? Half of high schoolers now say they have smoked cigarettes at some point, versus 36 percent in 2005. For middle schoolers, the equivalent percentages were 39 percent this year versus 34 percent in 2005.

? More than 14 percent of male high school students indicated they’d carried a gun, which is double the percentage two years ago. In the middle school segment, 37 percent of students reported carrying a weapon compared to 33 percent two years ago.

? In terms of students’ psyches, the survey found that more high school and middle school students reported feeling hopeless and seriously considering suicide. At the middle school level, in particular, almost a quarter of students said they’d thought about killing themselves, and 13 percent had actually made an attempt.

A?new license for nightspots

February 28, 2007
Page One

City closes lounge in Dupont after stabbing
LICENSES: Board calls Cloud an “imminent danger”

2/28/07
By KATIE PEARCE, Current Staff Writer

In the wake of a Feb. 16 stabbing on its premises, Cloud Dining Lounge, an upscale restaurant at 1 Dupont Circle, was forced by the city to close its doors last week pending a formal hearing before the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.

On Feb. 22 the board issued a summary suspension to the establishment, calling its operations “an imminent danger to the health and safety of the public.”

In a letter to the board, Cloud’s lawyers have requested a show-cause hearing for March 14.

According to the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration’s preliminary report, the victim was in stable condition after arriving early Feb. 16 in a critical state at George Washington University Hospital after multiple stabbings during a drunken altercation. The report states that the victim is Algerian and does not identify the gender.

Several witnesses at Cloud that morning pointed out a female suspect to police at the scene, but when all of the witnesses, including an off-duty 4th District police officer, left before being identified, the suspect “was released,” according to the report.

“I couldn’t believe that when I heard it,” said Dominique Moxey, who co-owns Mad Power Unit, a party promotions company involved in throwing Cloud’s weekly “Pearl Jam Thursdays” event.

Though the suspension notice identifies Mad Power as the security provider the night of the stabbing, Moxey said, “We don’t do security. We do marketing and promotions, and that’s it.”

The suspension notice also associates Mad Power Unit with the now-defunct 9th Street lounge Pearl, whose license was revoked following a number of police reports and an Alcoholic Beverage Control Board investigation.

The Web site werundc.com lists Danny Davis, Pearl’s former owner, as a host of Cloud’s “Pearl Jam Thursdays” event. Moxey said that Mad Power has worked with Pearl’s former owner in Thursday night events, in a side capacity. Davis declined to comment.

Cloud’s suspension comes in light of not only the stabbing but also a history of violence and disruption, as well the restaurant’s use of a DJ without a legally required entertainment endorsement.

” … It was a pattern that had developed and escalated,” said Maria Delaney, the administration’s director.

Efforts to reach the owner of Cloud at home and at the establishment were unsuccessful.

The suspension notice details six past incidents at Cloud, more than one of which involved a patron throwing a glass bottle at another.

During a September 2005 incident, the Metropolitan Police Department officer described the scene she found at Cloud as “pure chaos” and did not observe any security personnel present. At that point, Cloud paid a fine of $4,500 and served five days of a seven-day suspension.

In the investigative report, John Charalambous, Cloud’s manager, said the establishment uses four security personnel on the busiest nights of Thursday, Friday and Saturday — two roaming within the establishment and two stationed at the front entrance to check identification and perform pat-downs.

Charalambous said a “metal detector/wand” is sometimes used, though it is unclear whether the instrument was available on Feb. 16.

The investigative reports describes the stabbing as part of an escalated drunken brawl. The victim, “extremely intoxicated” after consuming at least six alcoholic beverages, began bumping into and bothering other patrons, according to the report. At one point, the victim bumped into the female suspect, and a fight erupted.

The suspension notice says the suspect stabbed the victim once before a security guard intervened, at which point the suspect stabbed the victim two more times. The investigative report describes multiple stabbings “in the [victim’s] abdomen and back.”

According to the same report, some confusion exists over the actual site of the stabbing. Charalambous, who was cleaning in the back of Cloud at the time of the incident, said, “No verbal and/or physical altercations occurred inside the establishment.” He also said a security guard suggested the incident “may have occurred on the street.”

Third District Police Officer Chad Hambrick, however, stated in the report that “the stabbing definitely occurred inside [Cloud] based upon witness statements.”

In a past incarnation, the establishment at 1 Dupont Circle existed as Savino’s Cafe and Lounge for three years before owner Savino Recine renovated the space and altered its concept. In February 2005, Cloud debuted as a swanky lounge known for its white decor, leather beds and “Cloud 9” VIP room.

The restaurant applied for an entertainment endorsement in April 2006 but withdrew its application the next October. In November, the alcohol board reported Cloud for having unauthorized entertainment.

Dupont Circle advisory neighborhood commissioner Mike Silverstein said a number of surrounding residents had complained recently about Cloud.

“The complaints reached us almost contemporaneously with the ABRA suspension,” Silverstein said.

According to Guy Taylor, a resident of 1330 New Hampshire Ave., which neighbors Cloud, disruption and violence have increased on the block over the past several months. He described noise issues as inflated within the corridor, where sounds bounce within an echo chamber created by three large apartment buildings.

“A lot of people are living on top of each other and looking down at the intersection,” Taylor said. He added that overhearing brawls is not unusual.

For some neighborhood leaders, the broader issue is that Cloud, licensed as a restaurant, has embraced more of a nightclub-style atmosphere.

“This underscores the inherent risk of a restaurant doing business with club promoters,” Silverstein wrote in an e-mail to The Current.

Mark Lee, a D.C. nightlife advocate, called the issue “irrelevant.”

“The issue is enforcing existing regulations and that there be adequate security at these events,” Lee said, who suggested some in the neighborhood would miscast the event to undermine “the legitimate inclusion of music, entertainment and dancing at restaurants and bars.”

Rob Halligan, president of the Dupont Circle Citizens Association, expressed frustration with the alcohol board for not acting earlier, given Cloud’s history of incidents. He referred to a “one-free-stabbing rule,” where no action occurs until serious violence erupts.

The Club Scene: D.C. needs to address the central issues in a teen’s shooting.

February 12, 2007

Editorial

THE SHOOTING of a 17-year-old girl in a Northwest nightclub opened a window into the District’s world of nightspots that attract young people. It’s one involving music, dance, alcohol and, too often, violence. City officials are right to look for ways to improve the safety of people of all ages who go to these establishments. Yet some issues central to the death of this young woman are being given short shrift in a rush to a solution.

Much of the debate spurred by the Jan. 20 death of Taleshia Ford has centered on whether people under age 21 should be allowed to attend clubs that serve alcohol. D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) is sponsoring legislation that would require any District club, bar or restaurant with entertainment to obtain a special permit in order to admit anyone younger than 21 after 11 p.m. Mr. Graham had floated the idea of banning minors from the clubs until there was an outcry that it would destroy the city’s rich musical life. Mr. Graham is rightly outraged by the murder of yet another young person, but his proposal may be more salve than solution.

Those underage shouldn’t drink; businesses that serve alcohol to minors should be prosecuted, and we don’t think there is an inherent birthright for teenagers to go to nightclubs. But alcohol had little to do with the shooting in the Smarta/Broadway club. She was a bystander when the club’s bouncer scuffled with a patron carrying a gun and it went off. Police say she was killed by accident.

Rather than questioning what the teenager was doing at the club, we are curious why this establishment, which had a history of violent incidents, was allowed to stay in business. Only after Taleshia’s death was Acting Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier able to use her powers to shut down the club, citing a series of serious criminal activities that predated the teenager’s shooting. Answers are needed as to why police and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board didn’t act sooner. Was it a question of not having the authority? Or resources? Or information? Or political will?

Equally urgent is a point made by D.C. Acting Attorney General Linda Singer as she challenged the city to take a more aggressive approach in keeping guns out of such places. Ms. Singer, in testimony to the D.C. Council, has suggested exploring whether certain establishments should be required under specific conditions to have armed D.C. police officers in place to screen for weapons through a reimbursable arrangement. Ms. Singer’s emphasis on guns being the true scourge is indeed welcome and we hope will be a priority of her office.

Mr. Graham asks good questions about children as young as 14 being in clubs at 2 in the morning. And he is eloquent in his grief over the murder of children. Yet there are shortcomings to the bill that, to his credit, he acknowledges, and he has promised further study and discussion with those who have a stake in the issue.

D.C. Might Tighten Law On Youths In Clubs
Additional License, Security Proposed
Restaurant Industry Criticizes Proposed Rules

By Keith L. Alexander and Nikita Stewart, Washington Post Staff Writers
February 6, 2007

DETAILS OF THE D.C. NIGHTSPOT LICENSURE LEGISLATION

Legislation proposed by D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) would create a new license for nightspots, including restaurants offering entertainment, that serve patrons younger than 21 years old and sell alcohol after 11 p.m. To qualify for the license, establishments must provide a written security plan for approval by the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration director. That plan must include:

— The number and location of security personnel;

— Procedures for identification checking and patron search;

— Procedures for ensuring that only people 21 years or older are served alcohol;

— Procedures for handling violent incidents and other emergencies;

— Procedures for crowd control;

— A statement of whether the establishment maintains an incident log;

— A statement on the type of training provided and completed by security personnel, including conflict resolution training.

In addition to reviewing the plan, the director would also review the applicant’s incident record and the type of entertainment the establishment offers.

People younger than 21 who are exempted from the regulations include those involved in an emergency, working in the establishment and attending a private gathering where alcohol is neither sold nor served.

???? SOURCE: The Protection and Safety of Underage Persons Amendment Act
_______________

Any District club, bar or restaurant with entertainment that serves alcohol after 11 p.m. would be required to have a special license to admit anyone younger than 21, under a D.C. Council proposal.

Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) said he would introduce a bill today requiring that establishments present a detailed, written security plan before obtaining the annual license, which would cost $375 and be in addition to the regular alcohol license.

The nightspots would have to assure the city that they have a certain level of security and maintain logs of violent incidents. They would have to train employees to handle unruly crowds and specify procedures for checking identification and searching customers. And if the measures weren’t enough to maintain order and prevent underage drinking in the city’s entertainment spots, the proposal would reserve the right of the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration to tighten the measures.

Graham, who has advocated the closing of several nightclubs where violence has erupted, said he wants to force clubs to tighten their security and the monitoring of underage drinking.

When adults and underage youths are mixed with alcohol, “you have a potentially troubling and potentially dangerous environment,” Graham said.

His colleagues had not seen his proposal yesterday, so it was difficult to asses the bill’s chances for approval. But D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) said he was worried that the bill could make it “onerous” for businesses to operate.

“We don’t want to interfere with parents going out with their children. We want to encourage parents to have that experience with their children,” Gray said.

Graham said the bill could be “toughened or weakened” as it goes through the legislative process. A spokesperson for Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) said his office had just received Graham’s proposal and had no immediate comment.

Restaurant executives worry that the bill could reduce revenue and burden restaurants with more paperwork. Andrew J. Kline, general counsel for the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, called the plan “overly broad” and added that an 11 p.m. curfew at restaurants could inconvenience businesses and patrons.

“I would hate to walk into a restaurant after the theater and be told that I cannot dine there [with my children] because they don’t have a permit,” he said.

Parents often take their children for late-night dinners or a show at a club such as Blues Alley, Kline said. “I am troubled that there is no exemption for a minor accompanied by a parent or guardian,” he said. “If I want to take my daughter to Blues Alley, I should be able to do so without an impediment.”

In the city, 900 businesses are licensed to serve alcohol, and more than 700 are restaurants. Seventy of those restaurants also have licenses for dancing and entertainment.

Graham proposed the bill in response to the killing Jan. 20 of Taleshia Ford, 17, in Smarta/Broadway, also known as Club 1919, on Ninth Street NW, just off the bustling U Street corridor. The club admitted teens but also served alcohol to patrons 21 and older.

After the shooting, Graham initially considered a bill that would ban all patrons under age 21 from attending venues where alcohol was served. But after several heated meetings with nightclub owners, musicians and youth advocates, Graham opted for a less stringent plan.

“I’m willing to create a constructive environment for young people to dance and hear music,” Graham said. “This is about more than underage drinking. It’s about entrepreneurs trying to make a fast buck.”

The Black Cat, at 1811 14th St. NW, often caters to under-21 crowds for its late-night concerts. Owner Dante Ferrando said he supports additional security and monitoring but worries the legislation could go too far.

Nightclubs that cater to younger crowds also would have to implement a $1 surcharge on all under-21 admissions at the door. That fee, Graham said, would be used to fund the expansion of the city’s underage-inspection unit, part of the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration. The liquor board’s 10 inspectors primarily focus on monitoring restaurants and taverns that serve alcohol during the day or early evening. The expansion would increase the number of inspectors and allow them to monitor nightclubs and restaurants after 11 p.m.