Gainesville Police Department
BAR CLOSING REPORT
Public Safety Committee
DRAFT
#040424

Norman B. Botsford
Chief of Police


Thursday
April 21, 2005


I	Overview of Staffing Issues related to bar closing
* Bars currently close at 0200 hours, and there is activity in the areas of the bars and along major traffic corridors 30 minutes to one (1) hours after the bars close (until 0230 or 0300 hours).
* In the areas where bars are concentrated (Downtown and West University Avenue corridor), zone officers and other officers from throughout the city assist with crowd control, traffic problems, noise complaints, and other bar-related dynamics for a several hour period on high activity nights.
* There is shift overlap from 2200-0300 hours to accommodate higher call load in the city.

II	Current Citywide Staffing on Shifts 3 & 4
* These are AVERAGE number of zone officers working each shift CITYWIDE
* Numbers were sampled from October 2004, January 2005, and March 2005
* Shift 3 = 1700-0300 hours		Shift 4 = 2200-0800 hours


MON
TUES
WED
THURS
FRI
SAT
SUN
Shift 3
14
14
14
22
15
15
15
Shift 4
14
15
15
25
14
14
12
TOTAL til 0300
28
29
29
47
29
29
27

III       Current Area Staffing Levels Until 0300 hours

* DOWNTOWN AREA


MON
TUES
WED
THURS
FRI
SAT
SUN
Zone Mike Shift 3







Zone Mike Shift 4
1
1
1
1



Downtown Unit


5
5
5
5

Mounted Unit


2
2
2
2

Overtime Officers



3
3
3

Other Zone Officers



5
5
5

TOTAL
1
1
8
16
15
15
0

* WEST UNIVERSITY AVENUE CORRIDOR (1300-1800 W. Univ. Ave.)


MON
TUES
WED
THURS
FRI
SAT
SUN
Zone Golf Shift 3
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
Zone Golf Shift 4
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
Mounted Unit


2
2



Other Zone Officers


4
4
4


TOTAL
2
2
8
10
6
2
2




GPD Bar Closing Report
Public Safety Committee
April 21, 2005	
Page 2 of 2

 
IV	Staffing Effects of Extending Bar Hours to 0300 Hours 
* If bars closed at 0300 hours, there would no longer be a shift overlap to handle the extra needs of crowd control, traffic problems, noise complaints, and other bar-related dynamics.
* All officers labeled as Other Zone Officers in section III would be paid overtime for one additional hour per shift.
* Additional personnel costs for the extension of bar hours are APPROXIMATELY $1070 per week, or $55,600 per year (based on $39.50 per hour overtime pay). 
* There will also be some intangible costs associated with having the bar crowd out an additional hour
* Additional noise complaints due to bar music and vehicle “boom boxes”
* Additional traffic congestion and traffic accidents in areas outside the Downtown Area and West University Avenue corridor.
* Additional time of zone officers not covering their assigned zoned until 0400 hours or later, resulting in greater opportunity for business burglaries and other crimes.


      Report Completed by: 	Captain Ed Van Winkle, District 2 Commander
      				Captain Lynne Benck, District 1 Commander