Bar Hours Worry D.C. Police Union; Labor Chief Fears Extension for Inauguration Will Overtax Force

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: ar Hours Worry D.C. Police Union
Labor Chief Fears Extension for Inauguration Will Overtax Force
By Theola Labbé-DeBose
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, December 5, 2008; B01

The leader of the D.C. police union said yesterday he worries that police resources could be insufficient during inauguration weekend because of extended hours for clubs, bars and restaurants.

Kristopher Baumann, chairman of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 1, which represents D.C. officers, was critical of emergency legislation approved by the D.C. Council on Tuesday allowing establishments with liquor licenses to stay open 24 hours and to serve alcohol until 5 a.m. from Jan. 17 to Jan. 21. Baumann said public safety could be compromised.

"With our resources stretched so thin that weekend to provide security at the inauguration, we're going to be at the bare bones out in the districts," Baumann said, referring to the seven police districts whose officers respond to neighborhood crime.

Baumann said it is difficult to judge how much police presence is needed, because police have no experience with longer bar hours. Normally, bars and nightclubs can serve alcohol until 2 a.m. weekdays and until 3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. On Jan. 1, they can serve alcohol until 4 a.m....

The law, proposed by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, was introduced by council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), who represents the nightlife-heavy neighborhoods of Adams Morgan and Mount Pleasant....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120403899_pf.html

[SteppingRazor]

1. Meh, I don't but it.

Yes, the police force will be stretched thin providing security at the inauguration, but the inauguration doesn't take place in the early morning hours, so they won't be stretched thin while the new bar hours go into effect. And as to these longer hours, puh-lease. I live in South Florida. The clubs on Miami Beach close when the sun is already well up in the sky, and the police are doing fine. Hell, a couple months back, they were so flush with cash they were talking about buying robots to do aerial patrols.

[w4rma]

2. It will be fine. Lots of states keep their bars open later than this, regularly. (nt)

[Mike Daniels]

5. How many times do those states put a bunch of people who've been drinking until 5 a.m.

into a situation where they're only going to have 15 square inches to themselves on a packed to capacity mall for 2 to 3 hours?

I hope this goes off without a hitch but all it's going to take is one drunk who takes offense at accidental contact to turn the Mall into a bad situation.

[EFerrari]

3. I'm with the union on this one. It seems like a really bad idea to me.

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. OK, call me paranoid.

But wouldn't a "stretched thin" police force be a great excuse for not having proper security at the inauguration?

Or, "my guys were on the job, but some of 'em hadn't slept in 20 hours, they'd been pulling back to back shifts - that's no way to be at the top of your game."