Orlando leaders weigh policing costs, security rules and midnight alcohol limits after downtown shootings

ORLANDO — Orlando city leaders and police on May 19 reviewed years of investments and recent violence in Downtown Orlando as they debated whether to change rules that allow alcohol sales past midnight and how to pay for extra policing.

The morning workshop featured a presentation by David Barilla of the Downtown Development Board/CRA, a public-safety overview from Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith and a fiscal briefing by Chief Administrative Officer FJ Flynn. Speakers described a nightlife economy concentrated along Orange Avenue and adjoining blocks, police figures showing a rise in arrests and firearms encounters, and city costs to staff the downtown detail.

Barilla said the downtown recovery strategy has emphasized retail, restaurants and events — including incentive grants and facade funding for new and existing businesses — while noting the special challenges posed by a dense concentration of bars in the Central Business District. He described the city’s After Midnight Sales permit, approved in 2023, which requires an application and, depending on occupancy, contributions to pay for extra-duty police, weapons-detection systems, ID scanning and occupancy monitoring. Barilla said there are “just over 60” current After Midnight permit holders and that city agencies have carried out about 14,000 inspections related to the permit; those inspections produced 39 warnings and 414 violations, according to his slide.

Chief Smith told the council that public-safety incidents in downtown have increased in recent years. From May 2024 through February (period given in the presentation), he said OPD made more than 1,500 arrests downtown, seized 77 illegal firearms and encountered 335 legally carried firearms; officers recorded about 236 fights, 548 disturbances, 5,698 suspicious-person stops and 1,057 traffic stops. Smith summarized a string of high-profile incidents since 2021, including fatal and nonfatal shootings and two officers who were shot while investigating criminal activity. Smith asked rhetorically during the presentation, “Is this the downtown we want?” and said crime increases are concentrated after midnight.

Flynn outlined municipal costs associated with managing downtown’s nighttime activity. He said on‑duty and extra‑duty staffing for downtown totals roughly $6,000,000 annually and that the CRA budgets about $4,700,000 a year to support downtown public-safety and activation efforts. Flynn said the After Midnight Sales permit fund accrues about $1.6 million and warned that the city’s current subsidy model is unsustainable if no changes are made.

The council’s discussion laid out three broad options for follow-up: leave the After Midnight Sales permit as is and shift more cost to general revenue, amend the permit to change how police funding is assessed, or end late-night alcohol sales at midnight while retaining some security and screening requirements.

Positions among council members diverged. Commissioner Rose said she does not believe ending alcohol sales at midnight would solve the problem and urged “universal security measures” across all establishments rather than a curfew. Commissioner Sheehan argued that bars should “pay their fair share” for policing and said the city should not subsidize irresponsible business practices. Commissioner Burns supported amending the permit so charges are spread more equitably among establishments and kept alcohol sales past midnight for now. Commissioner Stewart expressed concern about safety after midnight and said he favors a midnight cutoff until a reliable alternative is shown. Several commissioners called for stronger industry engagement, more consistent use of security escorts when patrons are removed from venues, and stepped-up efforts to reduce weapons and drugs in nightlife areas.

Council members and staff discussed additional approaches that were raised during the presentation and public-safety briefing: expanding camera coverage and analytics, continued coordination with businesses through quarterly meetings, targeted inspections and operations (OPD described “Operation Nightcap,” July 2024–February, which produced arrests and charges related to narcotics at nightlife venues), and promotion of daytime and family‑friendly programming to diversify downtown activity.

No formal motion or vote was taken at the workshop. Mayor and staff said they will pursue further stakeholder engagement and data-driven options before returning to the council with concrete proposals.

Ending note: City staff and council members asked for additional cost breakdowns (including the portion of emergency‑response costs borne by Fire/EMS), for an updated accounting of which nighttime establishments are contributing to extra-duty policing costs, and for expanded outreach to downtown operators and neighborhood residents before any ordinance changes are proposed.