News

More Police at Late Night Bar Hours

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jason Yuckenberg
(202) 727-5820

Washington DC: The ABC Board and MPD have taken the final steps to implement a program to fund the deployment of more police officers to protect the public outside bars at late night hours. The ABC Board announced the start of a subsidy program this week to encourage the use of these officers.

Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward One) authored $1 million in the 2008 budget to fund the police reimbursable detail subsidy program. As a result, the ABC Board will now provide up to a 50% subsidy for the use of police officers outside bars at closing times. Rules have been established for this program's operation.

In 2005, after various violent crimes in and around bars, Councilmember Graham authored the initial law to allow alcohol licensees to pay MPD to deploy officers outside bars. That law allows bars, independently or in a group, to pay for these officers through MPD. The officers are not stationed inside the bars. They are stationed outside in the public area.

However, these officers are expensive. The hourly rates are almost twice (about $56 per hour) what an officer makes patrolling establishments that don’t sell alcohol.

The subsidy program will encourage the hire of officers by reducing these costs. As a result of the program, more officers can be deployed in Adams Morgan, U Street, or other DC entertainment areas to protect the public outside bars during late night hours.

Bars or BIDS do not directly hire the officers. Instead the hiring is done through MPD. The officers, who would otherwise be off duty, have full police powers and are focused on the entertainment area needs. The Adams Morgan Business Improvement District has been using reimbursable details successfully.

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