Beat 2431 News - Rogers Park 24th Police District

Soo Liquors hearing: Must continue to monitor the good progress

Following are minutes from the Soo Liquors Community Meeting on Jan. 13 before the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection; written by Beat 2431 co-facilitator Jayne Hoffman.

Soo Liquors Hearing
Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 11:00 – 11:35 am
Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP)
City Hall, Room 805

Hearing Officer: Shawn Burnett Whittaker

Attendees: Attorney for Soo Liquors, Rene Camargo (DevCorp North), Jay (Soo Liquors), Officer Norma Guerrero (CPD), Jayne Hoffman (CAPS 2431), Alicia Lopez (49th Ward), John (Rogers Park citizen)

Comments from the Community: Jayne Hoffman began the session stating that loitering and gang activity overall are down along the 1400 block of Morse Avenue, but pointed out that winter weather must be considered a factor in the decrease of activities.

Hoffman commended Soo Liquors, 1420 W. Morse, on two points:

• The recent decrease in criminal activity was also due to Soo Liquors’ participation in safety actions, such as calling 911 and implementation of cameras and lighting at the store.

• Jay attended the CAPS 2431 Beat meeting on January 12, 2009 with the owner of Morse L Liquors, which shows participation in CAPS program by the two retailers. Hoffman emphasized that Soo Liquors must maintain diligence in its efforts to help keep loitering and gang activities away from the store when the weather warms in order to help the community continue increasing safety, and later added that she would like to see Soo Liquors’ management expand its relations with other businesses and community constituents.

Rene Camargo stated that he would help Soo Liquors implement improvements inside and outside the store if they were willing. Camargo also suggested that Soo Liquors consider increasing the quality of wine and liquors to meet the needs of the changing clientele coming into the neighborhood due to an advent of new restaurants and entertainment establishments. A citizen suggested that Soo may want to collaborate with Los Portales restaurant who may offer a “bring your own” policy.

Officials from Alderman Moore’s office, Chicago Police Department and one Rogers Park citizen all noted that the 1400 block of Morse Avenue is much quieter and easier to get around. Officer Guerrero stated that emergency calls were down in November and December demonstrating substantial improvements in that area. Guerrero pointed out that some 911 calls were made from Soo Liquors, which demonstrates that the retailer is actively participating in safety measures.

Response: Soo Liquors’ attorney responded that Soo Liquors would sustain the level of diligence to continue with community safety efforts. Counsel asked the BACP for an extension of the next hearing into the summer because of the good results found here today.

Wrap Up: Officer Whittaker responded positively about the progress in thwarting criminal activity, and said the winter weather is a significant factor. Whittaker directed Soo Liquors that as the weather warms continued diligence on their part is warranted and that Soo Liquors should seriously consider suggestions about upgrades and collaborating with other businesses. Whittaker moved the next hearing from April to May in response to the request by Soo Liquors’ Counsel, and scheduled it for 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 19, 2009.

Soo’s Liquors promises more security cameras, cooperation with community and police

In an Aug. 19 City Hall community meeting, owners of Soo Liquors promised to continue to work with the community, call police about crime problems in front of their storefront, and security cameras on the exterior of the store at 1420 W. Morse.

The community meeting, hosted by the city’s Dept. of Business Affairs and Licensing (DBAL), was called after the city got a number of written complaints from neighbors regarding loitering, drug sales and public drinking around Soo Liquors. The meeting is the first of at least three meetings where the community and Soo owners come together to discuss crime problems and work to resolve them.

At the hearing, Police Office Rich Heinosch reported that in the last year there were about 30 calls for service to Soo’s at 1420 W. Morse. He also said there were four arrests on the street at the address.

Kevin O’Neil, CAPS Beat 2431 facilitator, noted that there were 84 calls for service for narcotics loitering and drug sales to 1418 W. Morse, the Los Portillos restaurant. Juan Gonzales, the restaurant owner, has aggressively called police about the loitering in front of his establishment and Soo’s Liquor.  Soo’s shares an entryway with Los Portillos.

By contrast, only about 25 similar calls for service were logged at 1400 W. Morse, home of the Morse El Liquors in the last year.

O’Neil also reported that recently, the Soo’s management has been attending beat meetings, and have agreed not to sell cheap wines, malt liquor and cheap half pints selling for less than $3. Gonzalez also noted that there has been a recent reduction in loitering. Community members also emphasized the importance of Soo's continuing to abide by the agreement.

Mary Lou Eisenhower, acting director of the DBAL, said there have been no major license violations recently, and that recent investigations, including those looking at illegal sales to minors, came back negative.

Peter Lee, an attorney representing Soo’s, said that sometimes management is afraid to call police for fear it could be used against them in license hearings such as this one. But Eisenhower said that was false, and that a condition of holding a license is that licensees must report criminal activity in and around their place of business.

Eisenhower also asked about security cameras on premises. When told there were four cameras inside, she suggested installing an exterior camera. The manager, Mr. Kim, agreed to do so.

In the end, Soo’s owner and manager agreed to continue attending beat meetings, not to sell the products mentioned above and to install the exterior camera. The next community meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 16 at 11 a.m., in Room 805 at City  Hall, LaSalle and Randolph.

Sign Citizen Complaint Form against Soo Liquors

At the April 21 Beat 2431 beat meeting, citizens learned that owners of Soo Liquors were not abiding by the terms of the agreement they signed with Alderman Joe Moore not to sell malt liquor and small half pints of liquor for less than $3.

As a result, Alicia Lopez, a staff aide for Alderman Moore, suggested that meeting-goers sign Citizen Complaint Forms to complain about loitering, panhandling, drug-dealing and drinking in front of Soo Liquors. (You can download the form here and send it to the Alderman's office.)

We will present these complaint forms to the commissioner of Dept. of Business Affairs and Licensing. We will ask him to conduct a hearing about the problems at Soo Liquor.

Stay tuned to this Web site for more details on the upcoming meeting.

Soo Liquors agrees to limits on booze and drug paraphernalia sales

Soo Liquors at 1420 W. Morse has signed a memo of understanding drafted by the office of 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore outlining limits on sales of some alcohol products and stopping the sale of items used to ingest illegal drugs.

Following are some of the terms of the memo of understanding signed in January:

Illegal Activities
• No loitering permitted inside and in front of my business
• Post a no loitering sign.
• Ask loiterers to move. If they do not cooperate, I agree to call 911, sign a complaint when officers arrive, and go to the court hearing.

Product Mix
• No Malt Liquor.
• No cheap wine.
• No small bottles (1/2 pints) sold for less than $3.00.
• No Phillies Blunts.
• No Rolling Papers.
• No Chor Boys.
• No Glass Pipes.

The memo was signed after Soo Liquors came to the alderman for assistance in getting a license for its canopy sign. The owner was ticketed for not having a current license for the sign. It has since been removed. Another part of the agreement deals with store's appearance:

Storefront Appearance
• Remove overhead sign.
• Remove sign ironwork.
• Remove iron grates and look into other types of security (such as safety glass, security cameras and alarm systems)
• Apply for help with Dev Corp North Business Improvement Program to design a canopy.
• Install Canopy after receiving approval from Dev Corp North BIP and Alderman Moore’s Office.

Soo's owner also agreed to attend monthly Beat 2431 meetings.

Last year, the city passed the "Deleterious Impact / Public Nuisance Ordinance" amending the Chicago Liquor Code. IT was passed in response to the state Supreme Court striking down the law to vote a single address dry.

Read the continuation for highlights of the ordinance. It's a new tool we can use to make Soo Liquors clean up its act.