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Council Passes Graham Bill Boosting Safety and Security for District Nightlife

For immediate release

Contact: Alan Heymann
(202) 727-8229

The Chief of Police would have the authority to shut down a nightclub immediately for up to 96 hours if the public is in danger, under a bill the DC Council passed today on final reading. The bill also provides additional police protection for areas of the District that are home to late-night entertainment.

Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward One) introduced this bill in response to late-night violence related to liquor establishments. For example, one Saturday night in February, 29-year-old Terrence Brown was stabbed to death at Club U, a nightclub with a history of violent incidents. The club operated in the Reeves Center, a DC government building home to more than 1,000 employees.

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board acted with extraordinary speed in meeting and then suspending Club U’s license within 36 hours of the stabbing. Even so, existing law allows the Chief of Police to shut down a licensee only for the remainder of the business day. Club U could have been up and running the day after Brown died. Bill 16-134 extends the Chief’s authority to 96 hours to give the ABC Board time to conduct a preliminary investigation of an incident.

"Other cities and states across the country close bars in dangerous situations until the facts in a case are known," said Councilmember Graham, who is chair of the Committee on Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. "So it only makes sense to do this. The license to serve alcohol is a privilege, and I want to make sure it’s a privilege that doesn’t result in violence."

The Graham bill would also allow the Metropolitan Police Department to bring off-duty officers back on duty to provide security around businesses that serve alcohol. The businesses would enter into an agreement to reimburse MPD directly for the cost of the police protection. Officers would patrol the area surrounding the bar and help control traffic nearby. Officers would be assigned by MPD and not paid directly by the businesses they protect.

"This bill takes two major steps to make nightlife safer in the District of Columbia," said Councilmember Graham. "One step is to increase our police presence to prevent violence in the first place. The second is to act more strongly if there is an incident. Our residents and visitors deserve to go out at night without fearing for their safety."

Bill 16-134 was originally co-sponsored by Councilmembers Adrian Fenty, Vincent Gray, Kwame Brown, Phil Mendelson, David Catania and Chairman Linda Cropp. It now goes to Mayor Anthony Williams for signature, and can be viewed online here.