Recommendation from Hpks PD to revoke license of Hopkins Fun CenterO
CITY OF HOPKINS
1010 FIRST STREET SOUTH HOPKINS, MINNESOTA 55343 61 2/935 -8474
MEMORANDUM
TO: The Honorable City Council and Manager
FROM: Donald W. Bentley, Lieutenant of Police
SUBJ: Request for Revocation of Hopkins Fun Center License, presently in the
name of Mr. Scott Wright
April 29, 1981
During the past several months, the police department has been conducting an inves-
tigation in regards to the management practices and clientele behavior patterns of
the various family fun center licensed and operating in the City of Hopkins.
Of the four licensees, three are doing an adequate job of maintaining order and
living up to the conditions of their licenses.
The fourth licensee, Mr. Scott Wright, who holds the license for the Hopkins Fun
Center, located in the Hopkins House Shopping Center, is doing such a poor job that
the police department herewith. makes formal request for revocation of Mr. Wright's
license for the following reasons:
I. Unsanitary Conditions:
In spite of repeated warnings and violation notices from the sanitation
officer, Mr. Wright refuses to comply with that portion of the conditions
license rule that requires the license holder to remove and properly dis-
pose of all debris and trash from the exterior premises.
II. Juveniles on Premises Prior to 3 P.M. on School Days:
Our juvenile officer found juveniles on the premises of the Hopkins Fun
Center prior to 3:00 p.m. on 2 -19 -81 and again on 3 -4 -81, Mr. Wright
was warned both times.
III Suspected Criminal Activity:
Mr. Wright may be purchasing beer for minors.
During the past several weeks, there have been persistent rumors indicating that
juveniles and minors have been able to purchase beer from persons connected to, or
having something to do with, the Hopkins Fun Center. The department is now in
possession of information from a very reliable source that indicates that Mr. Wright
has, on at least six occations, purchased beer in large quantities at the Hopkins
House of Liquor and within minutes after the purchases turned the beer over to
young people in the rear parking lot.
Respectfully submitted,
Donald W. Bentley
Lieutenant of Police.
The source witnessed these transactions in person, and while he does not know the
names or ages of the persons receiving the beer from Mr. Wright, it stands to reason
that if the persons who received the beer from Mr. Wright were of legal age, they
would have bought it themselves.
Since our witness does not know the names of the person to wham Mr. Wright gave or
sold the beer, it is impossible to bring criminal charges against him at this time;
however, the witness will testify under oath at any council hearing that may arise
from this request for revocation.
Our witness has also explained to me that a friend of Mr. Wright who spent a great
deal of time at the Hopkins Fun Center purchased beer for minors on a regular basis.
Often he made as many as three or four purchases per night and regularly distributed
the beer to minors and/or juveniles in the back lot. Again the witness does not know
the names or the ages of the persons receiving the beer precluding, once again, any
criminal charges. This person ultimately was forced to give up his illegal activity
because the manager at the Hopkins House of Liquor, suspecting what this person was
doing with the beer that he was buying there, refused to sell him anymore alcoholic
beverages. We suspect that his individual was actually selling to minors for profit
because he has since moved his center of operation to another city. We are well aware
of who he is and where he is operating and alerted the police of that community.
IV. Paragraph number four of the conditions of licenses states that the
license holder shall be held responsible for the conduct of his
patrons to the extent that statutes and ordinance violations occurring
on the premises that should be reasonably kncwn to the license holder
or'his agents should be reported to the Hopkins Police Department
immediately.
Statements, reports, and other documentary evidence is available for council perusal.
Said documents, statements and reports can and will be delivered at any time the
council wishes to see them