Increased Alcohol Enforcement In Downtown Mobile

Alabama Mobile A city councilman is concerned tougher enforcement could hurt business.

by Steve Alexander

Published: Thu, July 10, 2008 - 7:52 pm CST

State alcohol control officials say they have stepped up enforcement of private clubs in downtown Mobile.
However, a Mobile city council member has some concerns.
Officials with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, or ABC board, said they have found some of the clubs are not complying with state regulations they're supposed to follow.
Lieutenant Michael Cook with the ABC Board said, "(There's) no particular reason why we increase enforcement down there other than we get complaints in the office. We get complaints from city council members, from the city of Mobile police department. They'll call and its just an ongoing problem, and we decided it was time to go down there and get people on Dauphin Street in compliance."
Cook said when ABC agents first started getting complaints, almost all of the private clubs had some type of license violation.
Private clubs differ from lounges in that they can serve alcohol between 2 am and noon on Sundays.
But they must also issue membership cards.
When asked what some of the violations have been, Lieutenant Cook said, "Allowing non-members to come in because a private club is only open to bonafide members and bonafide guests of members."
But Councilman William Carroll said he saw something that worried him when he went downtown with business leaders one night recently.
Carroll said, "The ABC Board was out in force. I mean, seven or eight ABC Board enforcement officers lined up in a row, all going into a club. It seems like it may have been an intimidation factor and that really, really concerned me."
Private club owners aren't talking on camera, but some said they worry that theres an organized campaign to shut them down, or have them close by 2 am on Sunday.
Lieutenant Cook said, "Absolutely not. We're not here to put anybody out of business. We're here just to bring them into compliance."
In fact, he said there have been fewer violations in recent weeks.
Lieutenant Cook added, "Once we get them (the private clubs) into compliance, we may move our enforcement efforts somewhere else. We're not going to go away, but we may not be there as regular as we are now."

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KxVx Says:

Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 3:35 pm

I didn’t know these things happened. I hang out at classy establishments, I suppose.

Tide Fan Says:

Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 1:35 pm

Yep…Some years back, I was on Bourbon Street and watched this poor Bartender try to keep up / keep an eye on things when a guy reached over and grabbed a couple of beers for himself…and this bartender only had the one well to watch..The rules are there for a reason and rightfully so.

asda Says:

Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 1:20 pm

If you work in a bar and have over 100 people and are running around making drinks. You don’t really have time to watch the customers. It does not mean them actually walk behind the bar but reach over it.

KxVx Says:

Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 1:09 pm

But if there’s only one bartender, I think it would be pretty obvious if someone went behind the bar to help himself. By the logic that someone could “help themselves” the beer coolers should be locked at all times, too, but this is not a requirement.

asda Says:

Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 11:55 am

That was always my understanding when I use to Bartend downtown.

The wife Says:

Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 11:52 am

Thank you. I guess the concern is, someone being able to help themselves if there is no attendant.

asda Says:

Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 11:46 am

Wells are used to hold ice and beer/liquor for the drinks and usually has cups stacked in front of it.

The wife Says:

Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 11:33 am

Please give me a brief explanation of wells. I am sorry but even though I am a senior citizen, I have never frequented bars and I don’t drink so I don’t know what you are talking about.

asda Says:

Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 11:30 am

I witnessed a fight downtown and had to go to court. The kid that started the fight was 19 and drinking in a bar that was 21 and up only. The DA was going after the other guy just because the DA knew the 19 year olds dad. Then during the court hearing the 19 year old admitted that he had been drinking in the bar not just on that one occasion but all the time. The same 19 year old had started a different fight at the same bar only 3 days before. The DA never went after the 19 year old for drinking or the fights because he knew the kids dad. Now how fair is the DA really being when they go after some kids but not all of them. Come on he admitted in a court of law that he was drinking multiple times at the same Bar.

KxVx Says:

Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 11:11 am

That’s a RIDICULOUS rule!

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