North Charleston bar law passesEarlier closing time to take effect next year By Warren Wise (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Friday, November 30, 2007
Earlier closing time to take effect next year Underscored by an early morning homicide outside a bar on Thanksgiving Day, North Charleston City Council's move to curb late-night crime with a new law that requires all bars and nightclubs to close at 2 a.m. passed quickly Thursday on a 7-2 vote. This year's holiday revelers don't have to worry. The ordinance won't take effect until Jan. 2. It will require bars to shut down between 2 and 6 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Sunday sales already are regulated by state law. The measure received broad support among City Council members, including Mayor Keith Summey, who traditionally has opposed government intrusion into private business practices. "It's something that is a public safety issue for the community," he said. Councilman Kurt Taylor also voiced support. "When my police chief tells me it has become a problem for my city, I don't have a choice but to agree to the restrictions," he said. Councilmen Bobby Jameson and Michael Brown disagreed with the new ordinance. "I don't think it is fair to our business owners who comply with the law to be penalized for those who are not complying with the law," Jameson said. Brown thought the measure went too far. "There's been a lot of homicides not at bars," he said. "I think we could use another tactic." Summey said the city can't choose which bars can stay open and which ones must close. "If we require one to close at 2 a.m., then we need to require them all to close at 2 a.m.," he said. The measure came in response to Police Chief Jon Zumalt's attempt to stop some of the crime occurring in a city of more than 87,000 people that one study recently dubbed seventh-most-dangerous in the nation because of its level of violent crime in 2006, when there were 29 homicide, 544 robberies and 1,331 burglaries. Two of those killings occurred last year at bars, where police fielded 433 calls related to drinking establishments. Bars also were the scene of one rape, 40 aggravated assaults, nine robberies, eight burglaries, 17 stolen vehicles and 22 drug arrests, among other crimes. Forty-five percent of violent crimes in the city occurred at bars after 2 a.m. last year. Through September of this year, the rate was 55 percent. Before the Thanksgiving killing at Club 843 near Dorchester and Cross County roads at 3:30 a.m., there have been two rapes, 29 aggravated assaults, 11 robberies, five burglaries, 15 stolen vehicles and nine drug arrests among 343 calls to bars this year through September, according to police records. Many local governments in the Lowcountry require bars to close at 2 a.m., but North Charleston allows them to stay open later. The city has a law on the books dating back to the 1970s that requires bars to stop serving alcohol at 2 a.m., but bars can remain open longer for people to dance and hang out. The police chief says he thinks that allows people from neighboring cities such as Charleston, which requires bars to close at 2 a.m., to come to North Charleston and continue partying because he doesn't have the manpower to enforce after-hours alcohol sales. Reach Warren Wise at 745-5850 or wwise@postandcourier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 21 comment(s)
Posted by mac0cm4 on November 30, 2007 at 6:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
That doesn't mean it's right. What's next? Making retailers close earlier because the traffic causes accidents?
I would like to see the crime statistics for the other hours of the days. Oh - wait - they don't disclose that because it is likely equally as bad or it would show that crime is NOT centered on night clubs. We better close the 24-hour retailers because people might go there at night too.
Posted by ImplantedYankee on November 30, 2007 at 7:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What's next? Probably fewer deaths.
Posted by Hey_U_Guys on November 30, 2007 at 7:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
.
Posted by devster on November 30, 2007 at 7:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The 2am closing was the best thing that ever happened to me in downtown Charleston. Now I can look at my watch at 1am and know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Before the 2am closing time, we would stay out until 4 in the morning, hit breakfast at Alex's, and get into bed around daybreak. This is better for everyone's health.
Posted by Early on November 30, 2007 at 8:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
About f***ing time.
Posted by grannyofsix on November 30, 2007 at 8:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ok so that means the crime is just going to start earlier. And, the DUIs will be out earlier. Oh and then the time to start to party in the bars will be earlier.
When I was I teenager dating I was told I had to be home by 10PM like I couldnt do whatever before ten (snicker snicker) this wont change anything
Posted by flame711 on November 30, 2007 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think it will be a good thing, but will it spill over to other places?
Posted by afternoondelight on November 30, 2007 at 9:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's about time.
Posted by carolinapanther on November 30, 2007 at 9:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Finally! It took long enough!
Posted by CMLMADDOG on November 30, 2007 at 9:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's not needed. All these murders are thug-on-thug anyways. They are just "controlling the population."
Posted by devster on November 30, 2007 at 9:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
flame711: Where does anyone need to be after 2am anyway?
Posted by Test2007 on November 30, 2007 at 9:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Have to agree with granny on this. It makes absolutely no difference. They have the same kind of thing in Boston and you know what happens there? AFTER PARTIES!!!!! Guess what happens at after parties? Drinking, drugs, violence etc. You aren't really stopping it, just moving it, and probably not that far away either.
Posted by SCdeacinNYC on November 30, 2007 at 9:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry, but I am one of those people that thinks that whenever this is a major problem (here, North Charleston's ridiculously high crime rate) we throw a minor solution at it.
Closing bars at 2 AM will do nothing. It seems most homicides do not happen at bars either way. It's not the drinking, or what time the drinking is happening...its the people who are going there, often not patronizing these bars and clubs but just hanging around making trouble. This is just the North Charleston City Government and Police attempt to LOOK as is they are doing something....its about the equivalent to putting a sprinkler on a forest fire.
Bars close at 4 AM here. Doesn't really effect anyone because we have an ample public transportation system, and a police force that is EVERYWHERE. You are not allowed to even stand outside of bars and clubs, because standing around leads to trouble. If you are not in you need to move on. North Charleston is a violent city and violence will happen anywhere. It's time for some real solutions.
Posted by theronce on November 30, 2007 at 12:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Every time government passes a law to restrict one person's freedom, everyone loses a freedom. Does anyone care?
Posted by MDW on November 30, 2007 at 12:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't care either way because I don't go to bars but I don't see how it's going to help.
For as worthless as statistics usually are I'd like to see them as well. C'mon P&C, do some digging.
Posted by eyfigueroa on November 30, 2007 at 1:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
SCdeacinNYC, theronce, mac0cm4, granny: ditto!
just keep looking to the govt. to regulate EVERYTHING!!!! i'm a grown woman and now i can't smoke outside (i don't smoke but that's beside the point), now i can't stay in a club past 2 am (i'm getting old so i can't stay awake past 11 but that's not the point).
what's next? i mean really what's next?
do you honestly believe that closing clubs at two will stop violence? will only increase it earlier in the evening. now the clubs will just go 'member only private', they will charge a token membership fee and the same fools will be out on the street.
Posted by grannyofsix on November 30, 2007 at 3:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
only one child per family then autmatic strilzation? no smoking in your own home and only smoke 50 feet from your home no drinking in your own home past 2 am no large gathering in private home should i go on this is where our AMERICAN FREEDOM is going someone got voted into office that shouldnt be there
this is only a maybe
Posted by halfsheli on November 30, 2007 at 3:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The only way to keep the government from regulating such activities is to NOT vote for politicians who seek (and WIN) office so that they can further their own agendas (whether they be religious, conservative, hard-ass -- whatever). As long as people keep voting this way, politicians will continue to legislate morality, forcing their own moral codes onto the masses. And I for one DO NOT want to be subjected to the superficial moral codes of friggin politicians.
Posted by tashabecca on November 30, 2007 at 3:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Looks like I will be relocating to another city to live. Somewhere, where my personal basic freedoms are not restricted by the government. C'mon, I own a business and the government tells me when to stop serving my customers? and then demand that I pay taxes when requested? Telling me that I cannot allow tobacco smoking in MY establishment? Gee, I thought that tobacco smoking over the age of 18 is legal? Why not leave it up to the job applicant whether he/she wants to work in an establishment that permits smoking? Where we CHOOSE to work is an individual choice. We are not telling convenience store that they cannot sell gasoline because the fumes are hazardous and it is highly flammable and toxic? Nope, nuh-uh they will not because they are consumers of such. They are not going to place restrictions beyond what they personally prefer. The public should make decisions about public issues!!!!! PERIOD!!! SC has become a POLICE STATE again!!! It started when that Naval base closed and took away the visiting population, but now that the "OLD" natives have no one (US Government) to cater to it is back to "OLD" Politics. And hey, ain't it their jobs to police the city/county 24-hours a day? Charleston (all) is NOT a small TOWN and should not be governed as such! Looks like they need to get geared up and get more officers out to do what they are supposed to be doing. Next, they will be telling us what time to be in bed!!! This is dangerous, to shove folks out of the door right after they have been pushing alcohol because of the early shut downs. I do go out for an occasional night out and generally do not get out until midnight. Once last call is announced, folks all over are doubling and tripling their alcohol orders/consumptions. Then everyone is released in a mass, and that is when the "real trouble" starts...
Posted by BPFROM843 on November 30, 2007 at 5:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
all they are doin is putting more violence back on the streets at night when they would usually be in a club or bar
Posted by carolinapanther on November 30, 2007 at 8:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
give it a chance to see if it actually makes a difference before you bash it!! I dont think it will wipe out crime completely but it will help bring down the crime rate between the hours of 2am - 6am. I work for the police department and I know first hand what its like to run call to call at all the different bars in town.