Editorial: Downtown’s Big Fail

By in Club Reports

Following last night’s reported downtown shootings that left 8 people shot including 2 dead according to the Orlando Sentinel, it’s time for City of Orlando leadership to admit their plans implemented in 2023 are a big fail. You’ll recall those plans required an extra permit for any bar wishing to serve alcohol after midnight, required any bar over a certain capacity to pay for an OPD police officer to be stationed outside and required the use of ID scanners for entry. All those added large expenses to most of the clubs yet gained zero benefit.

Why? Because none (repeat none) of the downtown shootings ever occurred inside a bar or club. No, they all occurred outside on the streets. None of the thugs doing the shootings over the years were inside our clubs. So lots of expense yet no benefit.

What happened to the security zone plan (pictured above) that was briefly implemented in the summer of 2022? Everyone entering Orange Avenue either directly or from a side street had to cross the several narrow entry points where private security teams watched and weapons-detecting dogs sniffed. Seemed to work. The city had announced plans, allegedly, to purchase airport style weapons-detection systems which were allowed because each Friday & Saturday night would be declared a Special Event for which extra security measures were legal just like EDC can do so on city-owned property.

Just having hundreds of police officers stationed around downtown last night for Halloween allowed for the quick apprehension of a suspect but did nothing to prevent the shootings in the first place. Solutions are needed immediately that prevent crimes in the streets. Otherwise downtown will continue it’s course towards “wasteland” status.