Booze Ban Expansion Debated

Stand at 15th Avenue South and Beacon Avenue South long enough and you'll see it.  Police, fire and medics responding to 911 calls of a drunk and disorderly person. 

A high-ranking source in public safety in Seattle tells KOMO News the calls come once or twice every 24 hours. For each call that is fewer emergency responders able to get to real danger quickly in other parts of the neighborhood.

Neighbors say the calls are growing in frequency and the source says that's true.

So what's going on and what can be done?

In 2006 the city and state expanded a Pioneer Square ban on the sale of cheap high-alcohol-content liquor.  The ban extended across downtown, up Capitol Hill and into the University district.  The ban extended south into the International District, but stopped short of Beacon Hill and the Rainier Valley.

"Unfortunately, this has simply forced many of the homeless drunks into the outlying neighborhoods," explained the source.

Now there's talk among concerned neighbors on Beacon Hill about whether the Alcohol Impact Zone should be expanded citywide.

"I'd be open to considering that," said mayoral candidate Joe Mallahan last week during an interview with KOMO News. 

Mallahan said he'd want to speak with neighbors directly before asking the state to consider such an expansion.

"Certainly on its face it makes sense," said Mallahan.

The Washington State Liquor Control Board decides where to allow local governments to establish Alcohol Impact Area.  As recently as October 2008 the WSLCB voted to allow an expansion of Tacoma's AIA.

But Mallahan's opponent, Mike McGinn, believes expansion of such a ban would just continue to push the problem into other neighborhoods and other cities.

"We have to figure out how to address root causes,"  said McGinn during an interview with KOMO News last week.

Instead McGinn said, Seattle should consider more affordable housing programs that help get chronic alcoholics get treatment.

"The city did something that was actually a pretty good idea and its had support.  Its something called 1811 House," explained McGinn.

The facility at 1811 Eastlake provides beds for 75 people.

"They chose the worst cases, the hardest cases, the ones that were costing us the most in resources in terms of emergency medical response, police response, emergency room services and they provided them with a place to live," said McGinn.

The facility also allows alcohol, but advocates treatment.

"While its counter intuitive," said McGinn, "It turns out the people living there have a much greater opportunity to start dealing with these problems."

That is the kind of strategy McGinn wants to see considered to help reduce public drunkenness and crimes that are associated with it.

Still, critics argue that kind of public housing is expensive and few neighborhoods want to see such a facility built on their streets.

Back at 15th Avenue South and Beacon Avenue South it's clear to most people that something must be done.  But what that is, could depend on the next person to occupy the Mayor's office.