Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sheriff warns council that extending bar hours could increase impaired driving
Summary
Sheriff Tommy Romero told the council public safety must guide any decision about extending bar and nightclub hours, citing recent traffic fatalities and a rise in DWI arrests concentrated between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m.
Sheriff Tommy Romero addressed the council during public comment on Jan. 14 in opposition to proposals to extend bar and nightclub operating hours. Romero said the parish recorded 10 traffic fatalities and about 70 DWI arrests in the cited period and that his office saw a 175% increase in DWI arrests in 2025 compared with the previous year. "Extending the bar and nightclub closing time means more impaired drivers on the road during the most dangerous hours of the night," he said, urging the council to place public safety and the well‑being of children at the forefront of any decision.
Romero noted most recent arrests occurred after 8 p.m., with a majority between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., and asked the parish to consider the human cost when weighing any change to closing times. The council thanked the sheriff and invited questions; no formal motion on bar hours occurred during the meeting.
