Egbert Souse’s Bar, the shooting-plagued establishment on the corner of Piedmont Avenue and Mac Arthur Blvd, and the City of Oakland’s City Attorney Barbara Parker have reached an agreement that was announced just 15 minutes ago by that office.
Here’s the press release announcement:
City Attorney Barbara Parker and Piedmont Avenue bar reach agreement to prevent crime & neighborhood nuisances
OAKLAND, CA – The City Attorney and the Oakland Police Department have reached an agreement with the owners of a Piedmont Avenue bar to address complaints about noise, alleged drug activity and other crimes near the bar.
Last year, the Police Department responded to numerous complaints of nuisance activity and violence associated with Egbert Souse’s bar including three separate shootings in May, October and November of 2013 near the business.
Egbert Souse’s owners met with the City Attorney and police officials in November 2013 after the most recent shooting on the corner of Piedmont Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard which involved patrons of the bar.
The agreement imposes strict operating conditions on the bar. Owners have agreed to hire licensed and uniformed security guards, prevent loitering outside the business and close no later than midnight every day of the week. In addition, the agreement requires that owners promptly remove graffiti from the building and make sure music is not audible outside the premises. The bar also agreed to permanently ban anybody caught using drugs, fighting or possessing a weapon.
City Attorney Parker thanked Oakland police for promptly responding to numerous emergency calls at the bar and for helping to secure stricter operating conditions. She also recognized Egbert Souse’s owners for working with the City to address neighborhood concerns about the business.
“Last year, Oakland spent a disproportionate amount of police resources investigating and responding to crime associated with this business,” Parker said. “Neighbors, police, my Office and the owners all recognized that violence and other problems at this bar constituted a public nuisance and had to stop.”
The City and the bar reached agreement in late January and it became effective immediately. Violation of any of the conditions could result in revocation of the bar’s “Deemed Approved” status, which allows it to operate and sell alcohol.
Stay tuned.