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Entertainment Commission approves amended conditions for El Rincon after officer shooting; requires venue calendar notification to SFPD
Summary
Following a June shooting that injured an SFPD officer, the commission approved amended security and operational conditions for El Rincon, including a requirement that the venue notify Mission Station with a calendar of upcoming events every three weeks; commissioners discussed but did not pursue immediate suspension or revocation at this meeting.
The San Francisco Entertainment Commission voted to approve amended conditions for El Rincon, a nightclub at 2700 Sixteenth Street, after hearing testimony about repeated incidents culminating in a June 19 shooting that injured a police officer.
Deputy director Kane told commissioners that five shots were fired near El Rincon in the early morning of June 19; officers responded to a fight and an officer was struck and transported to General Hospital. The department placed an emergency 72‑hour suspension on the venue’s place of entertainment permit (effective June 19–22) and El Rincon voluntarily suspended entertainment for seven days afterward. The owner later submitted updated security plans and other materials to staff on July 2.
Officer Gary Buckner of Mission Station summarized SFPD’s concerns, recounting a chaotic scene in which officers were outnumbered, no outside crowd control was observed, and that some suspects had been inside the club prior to the shooting. Buckner told the commission he believes the permit should be subject to suspension or revocation given the public safety history; he cited multiple incidents and said he found the venue’s new security plan to be a template rather than a site‑specific solution.
Residents from 320 Alabama and nearby addresses shared accounts of bullets striking their building, repeated calls to police, loitering, public drunkenness, and fear for children and families. One resident said a bullet entered her living room; others described frequent late‑night disturbances and urged immediate action to protect the neighborhood.
Venue representatives, including Andrew Kelly and manager Wayne Wolfe, expressed regret about the June incident, said they had voluntarily closed for additional days after the shooting, and said they submitted a security plan and other changes. Kelly asked the commission to consider conditions thoughtfully and noted constraints on legal timing.
Commission discussion centered on legal authority: commissioners and staff agreed that under current code revocation is limited and legally thin, while suspension proceedings are narrower but available and require 30 days’ notice. After public comment and a recess for legal consultation, the commission voted to approve the staff‑recommended changes to El Rincon’s permit and amended condition 12 to require the permit holder to "notify the San Francisco Police Department with a venue calendar of all upcoming events every 3 weeks." Commissioners also requested that staff proceed with the appropriate follow‑up, including initiating suspension proceedings if warranted and continuing to work with Mission Station.
The action leaves the venue operating under the newly imposed conditions while the commission and SFPD continue monitoring compliance and considering further proceedings that require formal notice and due process.
