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Council allows one-year trial of in-house security at Family Food 2 with training, reporting conditions
Summary
After LVMPD advised keeping a contracted security firm, the council granted Family Food 2 a one-year period to replace the contracted firm with in-house unarmed security staff conditioned on training, coordination with LVMPD and the ability to revert to the prior requirement if problems recur.
The Las Vegas City Council on April 1 modified a council-imposed condition on a full off-premise alcohol license for Family Food 2 (1602 H Street) to allow in-house unarmed security staff on a one-year trial if the owner meets specific training and reporting conditions.
Business-licensing manager Darcy Alle described the existing condition that requires licensed contracted security personnel to address parking-lot issues between 4 p.m. and midnight. The change requested by owner Salar Shahani would permit security provided by in-house staff instead of an outside firm while keeping other requirements, including valid work cards for personnel and identifiable uniforms.
LVMPD submitted written recommendations against the change. Captain Kurt McKenzie told council that the contracted-security model had reduced calls for service and violent incidents at the location: "Since that change, we have seen vast improvements... I would recommend maintaining the current security structure," he said in a written statement that staff read into the record. Detective Unique Duro of SIS echoed the commands view and warned that in-house security had previously correlated with increased calls for service in the area.
Applicant counsel Laura Drea argued owners are committed to safety but that turnover among contracted guards had undermined enforcement. She said the proprietor had invested in supplementary measures, including a mobile surveillance unit, and offered to complete a training manual with LVMPD and city staff.
Councilwoman Sandre Summers Armstrong said she was inclined to give the owner a one-year period with active monitoring and the condition that staff and LVMPD be allowed to review training and compliance; she said the council would immediately return the license to its prior condition if problems recur. The council adopted amended language specifying "readily identifiable, unarmed" in-house security present daily from 4 p.m. to midnight, that personnel possess valid work cards while on duty, and that the business work with city staff and LVMPD on a training program; the motion passed on a voice vote.
What happens next: The operator will implement in-house security subject to the new written training protocols and LVMPD coordination; council retained the option to reverse the modification and restore the contracted-firm requirement should adverse incidents or compliance failures occur.
