Downtown liquor stores agree to curb alcohol sales

Alcohol will not be sold from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights during the event, which runs Aug. 6-10.

The stores, however, will be allowed to remain open and sell non-alcoholic merchandise.

Gary Sidhu, owner of Silver Spur & Gifts and representative for other downtown businesses, said staying open and not selling alcohol was preferable to being forced to close, as police initially suggested.

"If we're closed, we have problems like broken windows. If we're open we will have security," Sidhu said.

Police Chief Jerry Hoover has said cutting off the sale of alcohol is necessary to curtain violence and unruly crowds that sometimes gather after the official Hot August Nights events are over.

"When the legitimate event is over, the gang members and criminals who have nothing else to do come out," said Deputy Police Chief Tom Robinson. "We don't want them. Our strategy is to take the party out of the party at 10 p.m."

More than 400 arrests were made last year. Police said most of those occurred after hours and were alcohol related.

The ban does not pertain to casinos. Hoover said the clubs will put security guards at exits to keep liquor off the sidewalks.

Police and liquor store owners plan to meet on Monday to finalize their agreement.

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