Legislative Committee looks in to ABC system

Late night downtown violence was the focus of a legislative committee in Raleigh Wednesday. Bar and restaurant owners from downtown Wilmington took the trip to speak to hopefully redirect, what they say is, available resources that have been misused.

Local ABC boards are required by state statute spend at least five percent of their total budget to hire or contract law enforcement to act as ABC officers. Under the previous New Hanover County ABC administration, three deputies were hired, but mostly to protect ABC stores.

“We have always done what the ABC board has asked of us,” Sheriff Ed McMahon said. “If there’s a new directive it would be a good idea for someone to tell me so that we can meet and we can change that.”

To create change, Wilmington bar and restaurant owners spoke to a legislative committee to get what they say is some much needed policing downtown. Statistics show downtown violence increases four fold between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m.

“We’re going to take a look at it and see what can be done to redirect those efforts,” County Manager and interim ABC Chair Bruce Shell said.

Under state law, ABC officers have more authority than just protecting stores. They have similar privileges to Alcohol Law Enforcement officers. That means they have more power than regular law enforcement. ABC officers can investigate any alcohol law violations, including underage drinking and over-serving inside private clubs.

It’s something the folks who went to Raleigh say, has not been happening.

“To my knowledge there hasn’t been an arrest by a single ABC officer downtown and they know that we have a nightlife problem down here,” Slice of Life Owner Ray Worrell said. “We need help.”

A member of the legislative committee has asked for written recommendations from one Wilmington bar owner about the specific issue of use of ABC officers in the downtown area. The state ABC commissioner, Jon Williams, mentioned the issue of under use of those resources in his opening remarks to the committee.