- 2 min read
- Posted on 11.05.10
A guest blog by mayoral Chief of Staff Jeff Rainford:
I have heard lots of things about last Sunday's violence near a club on Washington Avenue. The following points set the record straight and outline a plan going forward.The Metropolitan Police Department told me that Sugar did have security in place on Sunday night and that there is no evidence that actions taken or not taken by Sugar's management were responsible for the shooting. In fact, since Sugar was last in the news and agreed to some new policies, the department says that police calls for service at Sugar have dropped.
Going forward, Sugar has agreed to stop their under-21 entertainment nights "in the interest of the neighborhood." To reinforce that agreement, the Excise Commissioner will ask Sugar and Club 15, two clubs that have been cooperating with the City, to restrict their late-night customers to 21 and older.
In addition, the City Councilor is drafting legislation for consideration by the Board of Aldermen that would set a curfew for under-21 for downtown; and that would restrict the late-night presence of under-21 customers in all establishments that serve liquor. We are also considering legislation that would require lighting and attendants in parking lots and garages.
Besides these City actions, other entities have agreed to some changes:
The police department will add additional foot patrol and traffic officers along Washington Avenue, Thursday through Sunday nights, for visibility, enforcement, and traffic flow. The Downtown Partnership will assign four additional CID Guides to Washington Avenue and install/monitor surveillance cameras. A Washington Avenue stakeholders group will advise the Partnership on necessary changes and adjustments.
