CHICAGO - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said yesterday that he??s planning to crackdown on and close liquor and convenience stores that serve as magnets for crime, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

"These locations often harbor drug dealers and street gang members and become a cancer on the community," the mayor said. "By taking aggressive enforcement action, we can send a clear message that the streets of Chicago belong to the children and the law-abiding residents of Chicago ?" not drug dealers and gang bangers."

Emanuel said the city, with a murder rate up 60% over last year, has previously relied on consumer complaints to suspend or revoke the licenses of liquor and convenient stores. But his new approach will become proactive, pulling information from 311 calls. Repeated problems, arrests, or a patter of complaints will enable Business Affairs and Consumer Protection to "revoke the liquor license and any other city business licenses," officials said.

South Side Alderman Pat Dowell said the crackdown is overdue, and that she has been trying to shut down at least two problem stores in her ward since 2007.

"When the community identifies things we want the owner to do to make the store a better neighbor ?" hiring security, putting up cameras or stop selling certain products ?" sometimes they cooperate and sometimes they don??t," Dowell said.

"When the owner didn??t cooperate in one case, we had to get neighbors to petition to close it. But because of the location and the vacant land around it, were weren??t able to meet the [signature] requirement. Meanwhile, the store is still a problem. Last summer, there was a shooting in the lot adjacent to the store."

Dowell said shootings are not the only problem at liquor and convenience stores. She said loitering, public drinking and gambling are also prevalent. "People go in and get their alcohol and hang out on the street drinking their 40-ounce. It??s frustrating," she said, adding its time the city acts aggressively to shut down problem establishments.

"Some of them have been identified for selling loose cigarettes and expired food products. When you begin to look at all those things together ?" 311 calls, aldermanic complaints and petitions ?" the city can move to close down these stores. We should be more aggressive," she said.