In Central Florida, crime, and therefore, crime-fighting never sleeps. It’s one of the many things that have to be accepted in the grander range of problas,ss. Throughout an earlier Tuesday meeting for instance, board members were hearing out a presentation upon three different amendments that would aim at the businesses that operate pretty late at night in downtown Orlando.
This proposal is nothing new. It comes after maybe a couple of shooting incidents that have been taking place in the downtown entertainment area. Throughout the last year, there has been many instances of crime that would happen throughout the area. Most recently, there had been the arrest of one man and two teenagers as early as Monday.
Orlando Project Manager Jason Burton, himself, has said that ““We’re going from a more reactive code enforcement scheme to a more proactive way. What we’re experiencing is someone will take money and fill up their lot and at midnight they’re gone. They’re leaving the city or the police department with the problems associated with that particular lot until three or four in the morning.”
How does this work out for new business-owners?
New owners have to apply for a special use permit to show their proposed safety plan in order to serve alcohol right after midnight. The additional proposal is applicable to parking lots, where it’s said much criminal activity comes from. Surely, the owners are in need of implementing a security plan to also block off lots when they’re closed off.
At the meeting, noise concerns were also on the docket for discussion. It’s apparent that Orlando City Planners are raising the limit of noise from 75 dB to 85 dB Burton thinks that “It sounds a little counterintuitive to increase the level, but in actuality, it will bring everybody to an even playing field level.” As the unanimous approval is set to be voted on in June, the fate of the city is held in the balance.
The Anti-Crime Housing Program Has Been Ended
The initiative was used in order to best remove gang and drug activity as well as violent crime in apartments. Through the program, officers had been sending letters to many landlords after seeing that their tenants had been arrested and required evictions for those tenants.
The Police Department in Orlando had to make many changes before abandoning the chase of eliminating lease addendums. Michelle Guido from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office says that “This is one example of moving away from more antiquated programs and toward those that can enhance safety and security of our residents, while helping to build the relationship between law enforcement and the community we serve.”
