Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Riverside council adopts 45‑day moratorium on new smoke‑shop permits after police reports of illegal sales
Summary
The City Council approved a 45‑day urgency ordinance halting new tobacco retail establishment permits while staff studies public‑safety, land‑use and enforcement options after police described widespread permit violations and repeated calls for service at smoke‑shop locations.
The Riverside City Council voted unanimously Aug. 16 to adopt an urgency ordinance imposing a 45‑day moratorium on the issuance of new tobacco retail establishment permits, citing public‑safety concerns and widespread regulatory noncompliance at certain smoke‑shop locations.
Deputy Chief Charlie Payne, who led the presentation for the Riverside Police Department vice unit, outlined multiple criminal investigations and enforcement actions involving smoke shops and other tobacco retailers. Payne said the vice team had seized untaxed tobacco products, cannabis items, psilocybin products, nitrous oxide tanks and firearms during…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
