Atlanta to revoke liquor license of violent clubs

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Atlanta City Councilmember Amir Farokhi has passed an ordinance that will allow the city to hold violent clubs accountable.

This ordinance will enable Atlanta Police to report clubs with a history of violent incidents and have their liquor licenses revoked. Until recently, such incidents do not warrant liquor license revocation.

The new ordinance defines “violent conduct nuisance” as multiple incidents of assault, homicide, or other criminal activities taking place in a home, business, or parking lot in the city.

"A violation of the city's violent conduct nuisance ordinance shall be "due cause" for the denial of applications for all new alcoholic beverage licenses... it shall be established that violent conduct or crime within certain properties in the City that endangers the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the City shall be a public nuisance," read the ordinance.

“Strengthening the city’s laws on nuisance properties gives us the ability to address businesses involved in continued violent crime incidents,” said Mayor Bottoms in a statement as quoted by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

When a violent incident reportedly occurs on a property, the city of Atlanta will issue its owner a notice. The municipal court will then order the owner, the owner's managing agent, or any other party responsible for the property to enact security measures and evict the tenants who contribute to violence. Failure to address the issue will allow the court to charge the owner.

“A vibrant nightlife is a feature of any great city, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of our safety,” Farokhi said in a statement.

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