Bar owners push back

A longtime Oakland bar owner recently requested anonymity during a phone interview, out of fear of retaliation from the city’s Alcohol Beverage Action Team, known as ABAT. “They’re so aggressive. They come in like the mafia and just free-reign behind the bar,” the bar owner said.

Oakland’s ABAT was created to enforce compliance with alcohol and tobacco laws at bars, liquor stores and other establishments. According to the City of Oakland’s website, the agency initially focused on upholding the state’s indoor smoking ban. Today, however, many bar owners say ABAT operates less like a public safety unit and more like an unchecked enforcement squad—one marked by surprise inspections, citations and what they describe as an intimidating presence. As more business owners speak out about their encounters, concerns mount over the task force’s impact on Oakland’s nightlife and small-bar scene.

Established in 2004 by the City of Oakland, ABAT operates within the Oakland Police Department. It works in collaboration with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) and the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) to monitor alcohol and tobacco license holders for compliance. The program is partially funded by an annual fee charged to licensed businesses. Its enforcement efforts are typically triggered by community complaints or scheduled compliance operations.

In December 2024, for example, ABAT teamed up with CDTFA to seize illegal substances—including cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms—from an unlicensed smoke shop. The department also runs routine “Minor Decoy” operations to test whether clerks at alcohol retailers sell to underage buyers. According to the City’s mission statement, ABAT aims to reduce nuisance activity, educate business owners and improve neighborhood safety.

The anonymous bar owner says he’s experienced ABAT’s tactics firsthand, dating back to when he was a bartender at another longtime Oakland establishment. “I was working one busy Friday night, and they were just standing in our way with smirks on their faces,” he said. “I tripped over this one guy’s shoes and he didn’t even apologize. I was like, ‘Wow, I’m trying to work here just like you guys are!’”

That incident, he said, was tame compared to others. On one occasion, he described an operation he likened to a “drug raid.”

“I was working my shift as usual and all of a sudden four cop cars pulled up and eight cops came blasting into the bar,” he said. “It was excessive for a cigarette smoking violation.”

Now the owner runs his own bar with his wife, and the encounters haven’t stopped. Recently, he was reprimanded by ABAT for a missing human trafficking awareness sign in his bathroom. According to California Civil Code Section 52.6, bars with a Type 48 license—on-sale general public premises—are legally required to post signage with trafficking hotline numbers and resources in visible locations.

The bar owner argued that signs are easy to obtain and should not warrant threats.  “Like, dude, it’s a sign. I literally just have to make a quick order,” he said. “In fact, my sign will probably arrive today or tomorrow.”

The couple says the rules seem inconsistently enforced. They believe ABAT disproportionately targets businesses with Type 48 licenses—bars, lounges and nightclubs—while skipping over Type 47 establishments, which are full-service restaurants that also serve alcohol.

“If both license types are serving alcohol, then why are only one group of us getting inspections like this?” the wife asked.

She also questioned whether ABAT’s role is even necessary, considering that bars are already subject to oversight from the Alameda County Environmental Health Department and the fire marshal. Between the $1,100 they pay annually to the health department and the $1,200 they pay to ABAT, the couple says the fees add up fast.

After two outreach attempts, ABAT responded to this publication stating it could not accommodate an interview request.

“Every year I write my check and I’m like, what is this? I don’t get ABAT, man,” said the husband.

In a May 23 Instagram post, the Oakland Police Department praised ABAT’s recovery of marijuana and flavored tobacco from an unlicensed shop. But public reaction was skeptical. The comment section, now disabled, featured replies like one from user “@1wmzay,” who wrote sarcastically: “I feel so safe now…?”

Still, the bar owners say they aren’t backing down. The wife says she plans to bring her concerns to city officials and push for more transparency about ABAT’s operations. She wants to see regular reviews of the agency’s effectiveness and whether it’s truly serving the public good.

At the end of the phone call, both husband and wife said they were glad to see the issue being covered. But they were also effusively grateful for the promise of anonymity—an assurance they feel they need in order to speak freely.

“They’re very Byzantine,” the wife said. “They would come for us.”