Baltimore Good Neighbors Coalition

2019 Baltimore City Liquor Bills

Improving alcohol laws in Baltimore is an important part of the city’s  violence reduction strategy. Several loopholes have made it difficult for neighborhoods to address problem alcohol outlets that pose harm and safety threats to area residents. These bills will help 1) remove loopholes encountered by neighborhood organizations that impede their ability to effectively protest the license renewal of problem alcohol outlets, 2) limit the ability of problem outlets to avoid being penalized for their bad behavior, and 3) provide immediate protection for  communities where violent acts have been committed in a licensed establishment.

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Our Current Focus

Curbing the negative effects of alcohol outlet density on our city’s most vulnerable citizens

The impetus for coming together has been the over-concentration of alcohol outlets in Baltimore City, and shared experience of the negative effects these outlets can have on neighborhoods, families and young people in our city.

Best practice from elsewhere in the country suggests that pursuing reform both through licensing and local, zoning provisions creates more enforceable oversight of alcohol outlets to effectively reduce  crime, violence and underage drinking in Baltimore City.

Nearly half (47%) of all homicides are caused by excessive drinking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.This translates to 161 of the 343 homicides in 2017 were associated with excessive alcohol consumption.

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Opportunities

There are several ways to address nuisance liquor outlets in Baltimore, but the devil is in the details. To achieve your desired outcome, you must know who to call, what information to gather and when and where to make your case.

BGNC has conducted informative interviews/meetings with city and state leaders, law enforcement and legal experts to help you navigate the process. To this end, we have compiled a list of resources and guidance on.both the city and state opportunities available to residents to address problem liquor outlets in their neighborhoods.

Whether looking to file a complaint against a liquor outlet for violating provisions under the newly revised zoning code (TransForm Baltimore) or launching a citizen protest before the Board of Liquor License Commissioners, we hope you find our list of resources helpful. See our latest fact sheet on Alcohol & Violence in Baltimore City.

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