UPDATE July 23, 2014:
A Roanoke store applying to get an ABC license to sell wine and beer is facing major opposition.
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More alcohol in this neighborhood in southeast Roanoke is a combination Roanoke City Police Chief Chris Perkins says is bad news.
He's animatedly opposing the Dollar General Store on the corner of Jamison Avenue getting an ABC license to sell beer and wine .
"If I can keep one more person from getting intoxicated and shooting or stabbing or doing something to someone else, then I've got to make an effort to do that," Roanoke City Police Chief Chris Perkins says.
In a public hearing Thursday, Chief Perkins testified that in this area of southeast Roanoke, there's 3 times the amount of major crimes like assault, robbery, rape and murder.
He said using the crime technology at the department's technical center ISTAR, analysts say within two blocks of the Dollar General. there's been 3.8 times the amount of public intoxication.
"I can't keep throwing manpower because I have a finite force," Chief Perkins says. "What we have to do is we have to get smarter on how we're doing that and we have to look at the correlations on what is leading to issues that are taking place in a neighborhood."
Dollar General managers say the alcohol will only make up for 1% of profits and they will only have about $1,200 worth int he sdinte.
District Manager John Bernett also said alcohol didn't increase foot traffic at the other stores in Roanoke.He said it just caters to what existing customers are already asking for.
While community activist E. Duane Howard who also spoke at the hearing said many people didn't want another store to sell alcohol.
"We've had an ongoing problem, really for years, with alcohol, particularly in southeast," community activist E. Duane Howard says.
ABC has not mad ea final decision.
ROANOKE (WSLS)- There will be a public hearing this morning as the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control considers a request from a Roanoke Dollar General to sell alcohol.
Dollar General store 14606, located at 1302 Jamison Avenue, near 13th Street in Southeast Roanoke applied for an ABC license to sell wine and beer. The store is qualified for the license but several objections were made.
According to ABC, one objection states under Virginia code, "the number of licenses existent in the locality is such that the granting of a license is detrimental to the interest, morals, safety, or welfare of the public." A second objection refers to code stating "the place to be occupied by the applicant is so located that violations of the ABC Act or of the laws of the Commonwealth relating to peace and good order would result from issuance of the license and operation thereunder."
Some of the people expected to speak at this mornings hearing include members of the SouthEast Action Forum and Roanoke Police Chief Chris Perkins.
Chief Perkins has told Roanoke City Council he would object to the issuance of any new alcohol license in areas of the city where alcohol and high crime were related.
By law, an ABC decision will be issued within 90 days; however, according to ABC, it is most often sooner, sometimes within 30 days.
The public hearing is at 10 a.m. at the ABC Regional Office office at 2943-D Peters Creek Road.