Liquor license suspension lifted at The Party Store in Superior Township
Washtenaw County sheriff's deputies are hopeful The Party Store in Superior Township will partner with them to continue to cut down on crime in the MacArthur Boulevard neighborhood.
The state Liquor Control Commission lifted the suspension of the liquor license at The Party Store on Thursday.Â
An agreement was reached with the state attorney general's office. The suspension will be lifted, provided the store stops selling liquor at 10 p.m. each night and hires a private security guard to work from 5 p.m. to close.
The Party Store in Superior Township has received permission to sell liquor again.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
Derrick Jackson, the sheriff's department's director of community engagement, said investigators were never interested in "shutting down" the store, but simply "improving the quality of life" for residents. He's waiting to see whether the store will work with deputies.
"We're gonna continue to focus in that area and patrol in that area," he said.Â
Deputies identified the store as a hotspot of criminal activity and investigated it for drug activity during a crackdown on crime in the MacArthur Boulevard neighborhood this summer. The license had been suspended since Aug. 16.
State Police Lt. Monica Yesh, who oversees the Livingston and Washtenaw Narcotics Enforcement Team, said the investigation involving the party store is continuing.
Attorney Jeffrey Lance Abood, who represents the store's owner, Ziad Abuziad, said the goal of the agreement is to work with deputies to reduce crime.
Township Supervisor Bill McFarlane is hopeful the presence of a security guard will help safeguard the area, but also is waiting to see.
"We continue to have concerns because of the allegations that warranted the hearing in the first place," he said. "If they adhere to the law, there will be no problems. If they do not adhere to the law, there will be issues in the future."
Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at leehiggins@annarbor.com or 734-623-2527.
Comments
SemperFi
Fri, Nov 13, 2009 : 3:13 p.m.
This is a story with enough high drama to write a TV mini-series. The slumlord, party store owner, who keeps the criminals from robbing him by selling them drugs gets "officially offended" because the police are harrassing him, a legitimate small business owner. His greasy lawyer threatens legal action and the 'governor wannabe' attorney general steps in to broker a deal. Everybody's happy, right? Fast forward to a couple months... the rent-a-cop security guard, hired by the store owner, is nowhere to be seen when a teenage girl is gunned down in the parking lot by an angry patron who got ripped off on his drug buy with his food stamps. Nice job boys! Keep up the good work.
Lee Higgins
Fri, Nov 13, 2009 : 1:25 p.m.
Ed, Thanks. We added a quote from McFarlane and some other information.
Atticus F.
Fri, Nov 13, 2009 : 10:20 a.m.
I think the Sherriff should investigating those alligations. But these things need to be proven before we go shutting down businesses and putting people in jail. Those alligations could have been made by anyone who thinks the place is an eyesore.
Atticus F.
Fri, Nov 13, 2009 : 9:18 a.m.
Like it or not, these people are adults and they have the right to buy alchohol or tobacco if they so choose. I realize that its's a bad area. But if I have a right to have a corner market that sells alchohol in my area, these people should have the same right. Sounds like they came to a reasonable agreement as how to best curtail some of the problems in the area. I'm not saying that this will totally eliminate crime. But I think it important that we preserve peoples right to choose and balance that with the safety of the community.
Cash
Fri, Nov 13, 2009 : 6:34 a.m.
What a huge disappointment. Superior Township needs this eyesore CLOSED down. Why reinstate a liquor license for a store where drugs were sold, a lady was shot in the parking lot and multiple other crimes were committed in that lot? Liquor CONTROL Commission? Ha! That's a joke! This is a disgrace to our entire township, but particularly to the many decent residents of the housing development across the street. Those folks work to stay safe and fight enough crime without the party store across the street contributing to the problem while making a profit. And now the state attorney general's office has worked out a deal??? Oh wait, from the man who "handled" the Detroit murder investigation....comes another brilliant decision. I hope Supervisor McFarlane and the rest of our elected officials help us protest this moronic decision BIG TIME.
Justin Lilly
Thu, Nov 12, 2009 : 6:07 p.m.
That must mean its party time!