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Conditional Use Permit No. 2015 -21 November 9, 2015 Page 3 Third, the proposed Type 21 ABC license will provide an additional service and convenience to the community by allowing patrons the ability to purchase alcoholic beverages in conjunction with groceries and other general merchandise found in the store. Dollar General can better serve the community by providing an added convenience and a one -stop shopping experience. Fourth, Dollar General is an established grocery chain with a series of policies and procedures, including an employee training program focused on security and alcohol responsibility, which will ensure that the sale of alcoholic beverages are handled in a responsible manner. Fifth, the ABC license will allow Dollar General to remain competitive with similar uses in the area which offer beer, wine and distilled spirits sales as part of their retail operations. Finally, the proposed ABC license will be consistent with several goals and policies of the General Plan, including Goals 2 and 5 of the Land Use Element, which encourage land uses that enhance the City's economic and fiscal viability, that mitigate any potential impacts, and are compatible with and supporting of surrounding land uses. Dollar General is currently located in a commercial area and on a commercial corridor, with its operations and proposed ABC license compatible with the surrounding commercial businesses. Police Department Analysis The Police Department reviews conditional use permit applications for the sale and service of alcoholic beverages in order to ensure that the potential crime and nuisance behaviors associated with alcohol consumption are mitigated to the greatest extent possible. For off -sale licenses the Police Department analyzes the crime rate in the area by matching the location of the business' census tract to the corresponding Police Grid, The City of Santa Ana is broken up into 102 police reporting grids. The Police Department generates an annual report of Citywide Incident Rankings which ranks these reporting grids based on police activity. Those grids in the top 20 percent of activity are considered high crime and are further scrutinized for issues of over concentration. The Police Department then compares the number of such crimes in the reporting district as compared to the number of crimes in other reporting districts. In keeping with the standard used by State ABC and Business and Professions Code, should the Police Department determine that the reporting district has a 20 percent greater number of reported crimes than the average number found in all reporting districts, the Police Department will consider this information in making its recommendation. Dollar General is located in Reporting District No. 157. According to Citywide Crime Stats for 2014, the grid ranks 17t" out of 102 police reporting grids, which places it in the 16t� percentile for high crime with 572 reported incidents and within the highest 20 percent for crime. The Citywide average for incidents is 376. Within the last 365 days, there were 52 reported incidents at this location, with 15 actual crime reports generated. That averages out to one reported Incident per week and on actual report every four weeks. Although located in an area that is higher than average for crime, the Police Department contends that the operational standards applicable to the off -sale ABC license will mitigate any potential negative impacts to the surrounding community. However, due to the crime rate in the area, a Letter of Public Convenience and Necessity will be required for the project. 31A-5