NCJ Number
80502
Date Published
1980
Length
122 pages
Annotation
Commissioned by the Minneapolis City Council in 1980 to provide some empirical basis for licensing policy decisions, this study examined the relationship of bars to crime and the impact of all adult entertainment establishments on neighborhood deterioration.
Abstract
Data on the addresses of the 367 licensed alcohol-serving establishments in Minneapolis, their license categories, and crime in areas surrounding these bars were first analyzed, taking into account the type of neighborhood. An aggregate analysis showed that bars as a group were associated with crimes of assault and street robbery, even when the type of neighborhood was controlled. Bars whose food volume accounted for over half their total sales, bars with wine licenses, and bars with class B entertainment licenses were not associated with these crimes. Minneapolis lifted its patrol limits restricting liquor licenses to be located within certain boundaries in 1974. An assessment of assaults in sites surrounding the 23 bars granted liquor licenses outside the old liquor patrol limits between 1974 and 1979 demonstrated that, on the average, assaults did not increase at a greater rate than for the city as a whole. Many bars in Minneapolis create nuisance problems for citizens, such as vandalism, noise, and litter. A comparison of 20 establishments characterized as nuisance bars and 20 nonnuisance bars indicated that nuisance bars tended to have less than 50 percent of their volume in food, did not have their own parking lots, and were likely to have game rooms. The second study investigated the relationship of all adult entertainment establishments -- saunas, rap parlors, adult theaters, and bars -- to neighborhood deterioration as measured by crime and housing value. For this project, neighborhoods were defined as census tracts. Policy issues regarding the city's licensing and zoning powers are discussed, as is the research methodology. The most general finding was that while adult businesses appear to be located in areas of higher crime and lower property values, this is not because they caused these undesirable conditions. Once in place, they may contribute to the maintenance of a deteriorating environment. This situation is particularly true for sexually-oriented businesses. The implications of these conclusions for policy concerns are explored. Tables, graphs, and footnotes are included. The appendixes contain supplementary materials used in the statistical analyses.