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City Attorney reports expansion of tobacco and smoke‑shop enforcement, cites $1.4M grant and inspections finding illegal activity
Summary
The City Attorney described a multiagency enforcement campaign against smoke shops and illegal cannabis; a DOJ tobacco grant of about $1.4M funds staff and inspections. Council discussed staffing levels, licensing and future retail fees.
The City Attorney briefed the council on the office’s work with police and state partners investigating smoke shops and unregulated tobacco and cannabis sales. The office said it had inspected roughly 121 smoke‑shop locations, found illegal cannabis and tobacco in the majority, and levied more than $5 million in fines to date (not all collectible). The City Attorney noted over 1,000 calls for service around known smoke‑shop locations.
The office discussed a tobacco grant funded through the state Department of Justice (approximately $1.4 million spread across multiple years) that supports smoke‑shop inspections and enforcement partners, including Fresno Police Department staff. Council members discussed the recently adopted smoke‑shop ordinance and a proposed tobacco retail license fee; one council member said a license fee study will be on an upcoming agenda to set a fee tied to the cost of enforcement.
Council and staff also discussed staffing: the City Attorney said the office has separate teams for CAP (a state partnership) and the DOJ tobacco grant work and identified a total of several inspectors assigned to these enforcement efforts. The City Attorney said the office intends to keep applying for grants while emphasizing the need for interagency cooperation and cautioning that expanding enforcement would also require additional PD and state partner resources.
