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Police report: gambling at some bars linked to more service calls; council given renewal status update
Summary
The police chief told the council there were no major renewal recommendations but reported a pattern: establishments that added gambling saw more calls for service. The chief also linked higher public‑intoxication numbers to increased street homelessness and said the department will continue routine renewals.
The Casper Police Department reported to the City Council on its annual liquor‑license review and asked councilors to consider the department’s information when renewing licenses. The police chief said there are “no drastic changes” this year and recommended no broad denials of license renewals.
The chief told councilors that, for the second consecutive year, establishments that shifted from traditional service models to gambling‑centric operations experienced higher volumes of calls for service. He cited local examples where businesses that added gambling saw substantial increases in police responses.
The chief and councilors discussed other trends: public‑intoxication incidents and arrests rose in the most recent reporting period, which the chief attributed primarily to an increased number of people experiencing homelessness in public spaces. The chief described the department’s response as an effort to address citizen complaints while also attempting to connect people to services, and he said diversion and treatment programs remain preferred alternatives where appropriate.
Carla from the city clerk’s office updated councilors on the licensing schedule and noted some businesses were not renewing their licenses this year; councilor Pat asked whether specific venues such as Old Town Family Fun were on the non‑renewal list and staff confirmed it would appear on a forthcoming memo of non‑renewals.
Council direction: The chief offered no recommendation to withhold routine renewals; councilors asked for additional historical trend data beyond the one‑year summary, and staff said more complete historical reports are available on request. The police department and clerk’s office will continue the standard renewal process and follow up with any establishments that failed compliance checks.
Why it matters: The licensing review informs public‑safety oversight of alcohol retailers and identifies business practices — such as adding gambling — that local officials say correlate with greater calls for service. Councilors asked staff to provide multi‑year trend data to better quantify those correlations.
Next steps: Staff will provide historical reports on calls for service related to licensed establishments on request and will include the current non‑renewal list in the clerk’s memo.
