LMMNA Engaged with City Officials on Response
Hello neighbors -
We’re writing this morning to inform our residents about a frightening incident that occurred overnight on Alco Street – and to tell you what the board of the Lindridge-Martin Manor Neighborhood Association is doing as a result.
What Happened
What we know so far from first-person reports and initial information posted online is that at least one and maybe two shootouts occurred just before 3 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 31, among a group of people parked at the edge of our neighborhood on Alco Street NE.
This is the spot where Alco Street meets Melante Drive NE and serves as an entryway into our community. And, as almost all of us know, this is next to the site of Girls Galore LLC, doing business as Allure Gentleman’s Club, which has presented issue after issue to our neighborhood for the past two years.
In this latest incident, none of our neighbors were injured or hurt, and we’re still pulling together all the facts. But it appears there was a shootout between two groups of people. Police responded but suspects had already fled. Early evidence indicates multiple rounds were fired and many vehicles and businesses were hit.
Our Response
Enough is enough. This club must be closed. The Lindridge-Martin Manor Neighborhood Association has already reached out to the leadership of Atlanta Police Department Zone 2 to demand increased patrols and official police presence at Allure and in our neighborhood during what we are sure will be a busy New Year’s Eve.
We’ve also reached out to the mayor’s office, the Atlanta City Council president, and our District 6 council representative to ask for relief and special intervention. In recent days, the mayor has put club owners around the city “on notice” that there will be increased enforcement and citations for breaking club capacity rules and for any club operating after hours.
We’re insisting that Allure be among the top of the list of those clubs under increased scrutiny and enforcement.
All of this comes on the heels of months of efforts on the part of LMMNA and our neighbors to engage with police commanders and city licensing officials to address our many, many concerns and issues with this club since it opened.
Recent Security Efforts
Our members should know that we have used special funds from Councilwoman Jennifer Ide to hire off-duty police officers on multiple occasions this year to bolster security.
And Maj. Andrew Senzer, our commander for APD Zone 2, recently delivered a monitoring system to help police track the license plates of vehicles coming and going from Alco and Cheshire Bridge Road.
After we pursued the issue with the License Review Board, Allure was issued a "due cause" citation several weeks ago for operating beyond approved hours. The citation was signed by the mayor just days before Christmas. After two more such citations, the club can lose its "grandfathered" liquor license and be forced to stop operating.
Members of the LMMNA board have been told through official and unofficial channels that the city’s license patrol officers have recorded multiple violations by this club during the past two years, and we of course have months of 911 calls and incident reports on record.
We can safely call Allure Gentleman’s Club a “nuisance club” by any definition used by the City of Atlanta or Fulton County.
Our Ask
The LMMNA board will continue to push for a direct response from the city on this latest incident, and insist on increased safety measures for our community. We want this operator closed.
Please stay tuned for specific calls to action for our residents. As for today, we have multiple efforts underway to share the news about what has happened and to get an official response from the city and safety officials.
Know that we have pushed and pursued actions against this club and this situation for months, and we will not rest until we can ensure our residents, our families, and our neighborhood are safe.
Sincerely,
The LMMNA Board