Northwestern students were involved in nine of the 12 incidents that led to a $2,000 fine imposed against Evanston 1st Liquors last week.
Citing public safety concerns and a recent spike in ordinance violations, Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl formally imposed the fine against EV1 on May 1, according to documents obtained by The Daily on Wednesday.
Tisdahl’s written opinion found that alcohol sales to minors at EV1, 1019 Davis St., presented a “clear and present danger to the health, welfare and safety” of the city and its residents. The seven-page order was co-signed by city attorney Grant Farrar.
EV1 owner Amit Amin must pay the fine by June 1, according to the order. The decision came after the city’s Liquor Control Review Board held two hearings in March and April regarding underage alcohol sales at EV1. Tisdahl, Farrar and liquor board members scrutinized Amin on the recent uptick in arrests and citations at the downtown store. Tisdahl presides over liquor board hearings as commissioner as part of her mayoral duities.
“The police reports and charging documents available to date, along with Sgt. Tracy Williams’ explanation … more than meet the threshold for establishing that there is substantial evidence that Evanston 1st (Liquors) violated various local ordinances and state law,” the mayor’s order said.
Tisdahl and Farrar pointed to 12 ordinance violation citations issued at EV1 so far this year, a dramatic increase compared to recent years. Between 2002 and 2011, there were only three violations at EV1, according to documents presented by the city and obtained by The Daily last week via a Freedom of Information Act request.
Much of the discussion during the April 26 hearing centered around a 16-year-old Winnetka resident who allegedly purchased two 30-packs of beer at EV1 without having to produce identification, according to police documents. The minor is a student at New Trier Township High School.
“The system I would like to see is one where 16-year-old kids from Winnetka don’t know that the best place to buy alcohol is clearly your store,” Tisdahl said at the April 26 hearing.
However, three-quarters of the incidents involved Northwestern students, according to an analysis of the citations, arrest reports and court documents.
Four Weinberg sophomores, four McCormick students and one Communication freshman all encountered Sgt. Williams outside EV1 while allegedly in possession of alcohol, according to Evanston Police Department records.
Three of the nine students faced criminal charges, while the other six received municipal violation citations. Five of the students were allegedly in possession of fake IDs, according to police records.
The city also introduced evidence of criminal charges against two EV1 employees for instances in which they sold alcohol to minors despite being presented with identification cards indicating the purchaser was under 21 years of age.
At the hearing, Williams said he has been monitoring EV1 since January. The Daily reported Feb. 7 that EPD ramped up surveillance outside the liquor store after receiving complaint from Ald. Judy Fiske (1st).
According to call logs, EPD received 20 reports of incidents at EV1 this year through mid-March. Five of those calls originated from Fiske, who owns pet store Fit + Frisky!, 1016 Davis St., next to EV1, according to the logs.
“All I was doing was calling when I saw behavior that I considered to be suspect and that was reported to me by customers,” Fiske told The Daily on Thursday. “If I see something, as an elected official, I have a responsibility to call, and I have a responsibility as a shop owner to my customers as well.
“We saw a dramatic increase in terms of activity on the street in front of our store,” Fiske said.
However, none of Fiske’s five calls led directly to arrests or citations, according to an analysis of the call logs and police reports.
This is not the first time EV1 has been fined for alcohol sales to minors. The store was fined $15,000 and had its liquor license suspended for five days after failing its third “compliance check” in two years and inspection by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission in February 2010.
Amin purchased the store from past owner Sarju Nair in 2011. He argued at the April 26 hearing that he has taken steps to prevent sales to minors since acquiring EV1, such as buying new identification scanners and installing security cameras.
“The people at the liquor store have done a phenomenal job of installing appropriate technology to help curb underage purchases, and I think their response (to recent scrutiny) is entirely appropriate,” Fiske said.
The hearing was convened in accordance with code provisions regarding revocation and suspension of licenses, as well as fines for violations. City spokesman Eric Palmer declined to comment on whether the store’s liquor license was ever in danger of being revoked.
The mayor’s order mandates all EV1 employees complete alcohol awareness training by June 1, and that Amin and his employees cooperate with all EPD officers and city officials. Additionally, Amin must go before the liquor board in November to report on compliance with municipal codes and Illinois laws regarding underage alcohol sales.
The mayor’s order to fine Evanston 1st Liquors can be viewed in full below.
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