Doral mayor seeks to amend ‘ambiguous’ law to prevent further bar shootings
Mayor Christi Fraga of Doral will propose at the Doral City Council meeting on Tuesday that stricter rules aimed at preserving public safety be added to the current ordinance regulating alcoholic beverages.
Her plan comes after the shooting on April 6 at 3:30 a.m. at Martini Bar in City Place Doral, which killed two people and injured seven.
The measures in Fraga’s proposal would include investments on the part of bars and nightclubs such as in installing security cameras at all entrance and exit points, using wand weapon detectors on patrons entering venues, hiring security guards and off-duty police officers and ending alcohol sales at 1:30 a.m.
Here is a look at all of Fraga’s proposed public safety amendments for the current alcoholic beverages ordinances:
Requiring establishments to submit public safety measures as part of the approved Safety and Security Plan for the period from 10 p.m. until closing. The chief of police may determine whether and to what extent additional security measures are reasonably necessary inside and outside of establishments, basing this decision on the occupancy, type of alcohol license, traffic control and the history of violent incidents that occurred at or were related to a venue.
Security cameras: Install and maintain a security camera to record all entrance and exit points (excluding emergency exits) used by patrons of the establishment. Recordings shall be retained for a minimum of 45 days from the date of recording and shall be made available to the city.
Off-duty police requirement and/or private security: The establishment shall maintain on and outside the premises adequate private security including at least one security guard for every 150 occupants and at least one off-duty police officer outside of the premises. To the extent that two establishments are abutting, these establishments may share an off-duty police officer.
Weapons detection system: Shall use a wand weapons detector or similar technology approved and certified by law enforcement and/or the chief of police on all patrons entering the premises
Identification checks: All patrons shall be checked. Each client who enters the establishment whose ID is not checked as required by the permit shall be considered a separate violation of the terms of the permit.
Secured area: Ensure that all areas of the premises including outside seating areas are secure with permanent barriers to prevent access to the premises or the ability to place objects from outside of the premises to the inside of the premises.
Training: Comply with the requirements of the Florida Responsible Vendor Act including all staff and training requirements, in addition to annual training requirements as part of the Safety and Security Plan.
Occupancy load monitoring: Employ a verifiable occupancy load monitoring system within the establishment and keep a count of all individuals within the establishment between 10 p.m. and the time of closing. Such count must be readily provided by the establishment upon request to any officer of the city acting in their official capacity.
Closing requirements: Prohibited to sell alcoholic beverages after 1:30
a.m., and no later than 2 a.m., the permit holder must ensure that all individuals, except employees, vacate the establishment.
Including billiard rooms, billiard halls and bowling alleys in the classification of alcoholic beverages establishments.
Modifying sales and consumption hours for New Year’s Eve, extended hours permits, and restaurants. For New Year’s Eve, the proposal dictates that alcohol sales will be prohibited from 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Jan. 1. The current ban spans from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.
‘THE RESIDENTS HAVE REQUESTED THESE CHANGES’
Whether Martini Bar was in compliance with Doral’s regulations at the time of the shooting is under investigation, Fraga told el Nuevo Herald, noting that when the ordinance was amended in 2022 under Juan Carlos Bermudez’s government, “they eliminated operational hours and only established sales and consumption hours,” making it “very ambiguous.”
Doral’s mayor pointed out existing legal loopholes in the current ordinance and aims to address them to ensure more effective regulation of nighttime establishments in the city.
“Essentially, one can buy a bottle at 2 a.m., which is the last permitted consumption hour according to this ordinance, and sit there until 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. drinking,” said the mayor.
“They left us with this problem, making it very difficult for the city to enforce the law and ensure that establishments close,” Fraga said.
Fraga’s office proposed recognizing this ordinance in memory of George Castellanos, 23, an FIU student and the security guard at Martini Bar who was killed in the shooting. He leaves behind a 1-year-old daughter. The proposal highlights Castellanos’ lasting impact on the community and aims to further enhance safety through these changes.
The other person who died was the shooter,
Jamal Wood, 37. Of the seven injured, one is a Doral police officer who responded to the shooting and has not been identified publicly. Other wounded individuals include Lester Williams Gonzalez, 28, Sonia Muñoz Torres, 48, and Gerard Patrick “Joe” Delaney, one of Martini Bar’s owners. Siblings Yaniris Jerez, 30, and Miguel Jerez, 34, were also injured and were the first to file negligence lawsuits against the bar and City Place.
Yaniris’ boyfriend, Carlos Milán, 38, remains in critical condition at HCA Florida Kendall Hospital.
Mayor Fraga justified her proposal by emphasizing that Doral is a family-oriented city.
“If somebody wants to have a party until 4 a.m. or 6 a.m. there are plenty of places in Miami-Dade county more suitable,” she said. “... I don’t believe Doral is the right place for that. The residents have requested these changes.”
Fraga will have to garner support from council members, who are already at odds with her administration after she revoked lifetime pensions approved during the previous administration. The council also fired the Doral city manager in January for allegations of conflict of interest and hired an interim city manager without the support of the mayor.
Verónica Egui Brito: 305-376-2664, VeroEgui
Christi Fraga, mayor of Doral