SNOHOMISH — State Liquor Control Board Agents say they are cracking down on alcohol- related problems on First Street in Snohomish.
They plan to use education, enforcement and the specter of lost liquor licenses to increase compliance and improve safety.
A series of violent incidents, including what police say was a near riot last month, has spurred the state to designate Snohomish a Strategic Location of Interest, said Thomas Dixon, an enforcement captain for the liquor control agency.
He made the announcement Tuesday afternoon at a nearly two-hour meeting of Snohomish bar owners, police, city officials, state agents and concerned neighbors.
The designation, which means the liquor control board will be focusing more resources on Snohomish, may stay in place for up to two years, Dixon said.
The aim is to create a better environment for everyone, including bar owners, he said.
“Or it will end with someone losing their license,” Dixon said.
Snohomish Police Chief John Turner called Tuesday’s meeting following an early morning fight during Kla Ha Ya Days on July 19. Three people were arrested and three police officers were injured.
On Tuesday, Turner said at least one more arrest is expected, this time for false reporting. During the melee, someone called 911 to report other fights involving forks and knives. The four calls were an apparent ruse to distract police, officials said. The case has been forwarded to Snohomish County prosecutors for review.
As many as 200 people were involved in the Kla Ha Ya Days brawl, police said. Bar owners claim the number was much less.
The police were fighting with three women who each weigh about 100 pounds, said David R. Osgood. He’s a Seattle attorney representing a newly formed coalition of many of the First Street bars. Osgood said he represents similar cooperatives in Seattle’s Pioneer Square and Belltown, both neighborhoods where alcohol-fueled fights and noisy bars have long been problems. He has experience representing bar owners who have faced stepped up enforcement from the liquor control board and Seattle officials.
The Snohomish bars and restaurants represent a vital part of the city and are an important economic engine, the attorney said. The bars have a long history, mostly problem-free, he said.
Osgood acknowledged there has been recent violence — a man’s head was crushed on April 11 and another man was stabbed on Nov. 27 — but said the bars weren’t to blame.
“I’ve not seen any connection to alcohol,” he said.
Sandy Countryman, who owns the Countryman bed and breakfast a block off First Street, said the problems associated with bars on First Street have been going on for years.
“I don’t know what the answer is, I just know that we have to deal with it,” she said.
Brent Nerby, owner of the Time Out Sports Bar, said several bars agreed to form the association to cooperate on public safety issues.
One example: Patrons who cause problems up and down First Street could face being blackballed, Nerby said.
“That’s why this association is going to be good,” he said.
Bad publicity after the recent brawl has made running a profitable business challenging, Nerby said.
Bars can take in $5 for every $1 they spend on alcohol, Snohomish City Manager Larry Bauman said. With that high profitability comes great responsibility.
“No other business consumes as many police resources,” he said.
Now, the city, police and state agents are asking the bars to participate in training programs to lower the risks of serving too much alcohol. They warned that violations of alcohol-service rules will result in tickets or loss of license for the business.
Dixon, the state liquor agent, pointed to Sedro-Woolley, a town that also was designated a “Strategic Location of Interest.” It once had similar problems to those facing Snohomish. After a year, problems decreased and even some bar owners were appreciative, he said. Others lost their liquor licenses.
Turner wants to install video cameras on First Street and has asked the bars to consider installing cameras in their business.
At least one business, the Collector’s Choice Restaurant, just off First Street, already has more than a dozen cameras, owner John Hager said. The cameras protect bar employees and customers.
“It’s been a good tool,” he said.
Cameras do little to prevent problems associated with drinking, Edward Kikumoto has said. He’s a nationally known researcher with the Alcohol Policy Network of Oakland, Calif.
Still, Turner pledged Tuesday to move ahead with his proposal.
The group also discussed additional police presence on First Street at closing time, asking bar owners to keep a log of problems in their establishments. They urged First Street bars to adopt a uniform policy that will ban problem customers from all drinking establishments on the street.
The important part is trying develop trust among the stakeholders, some said at the meeting.
After the meeting, Turner said the get-together was an important first step.
Osgood, the Seattle attorney, said he wants to wait and see what ultimately results.
Still others want to demonstrate that there’s more to First Street than beers and brawls.
Zouhair Mardini, the owner of Mardini’s Restaurant at the corner of Union Avenue and First Street, points to one clear example of the neighborhood’s safety.
“Mrs. Mardini walks home at all hours,” he said.
Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com.
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