Council eyes earlier bar closing times

City Council cites safety issues

Citing late-night problems downtown, councilors are weighing options.

On weekend nights, closing time at downtown bars requires all hands on deck, but at what cost? City councilors asked this question and floated the idea of instituting an earlier last call during a City Council meeting on Tuesday.

“I think it’s explosive,” Councilor William Samaras said. “I think at some point we could be hurt by what we have.”

Samaras brought forward a motion requesting Superintendent of Police Kelly Richardson draft a report on efforts to address “violence” downtown, including cost, and work with bar owners to develop solutions. He emphasized he is not currently asking for a rollback of the 2 a.m. closing time.

“I want a report from the police chief talking about what happens to our neighborhoods when the police are called in to support the downtown. … It’s really important to our citizens that we ensure that we have our police in the neighborhoods,” Samaras said.

Councilor Rodney Elliott said he is ready to move back the closing time from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m. He said the City Council has discussed the issue multiple times over the years, including last month.

“I think it’s high time that we’re not the last call in this area,” he said.

Bars in Lowell can close as late as 2 a.m., later than surrounding communities. Councilors say this brings people downtown for last call creating dangerous situations as well as messes in front of downtown businesses.

Councilor David Conway said

most bars are responsible, but the city needs to address some establishments with “problems.”

“If the bar owners get away with it and there’s no teeth to it, then they’re going to continue,” he said.

Councilor Sokhary Chau requested the report to also include the names of the problem bars. He discouraged the city from punishing businesses that are not causing issues.

City Manager Eileen Donoghue said while police have done a good job “this continues to be a persistent challenge.”

Last month, police received reports of multiple shots fired on Middle Street shortly before 1 a.m. on a Saturday. The department was seeking a 25year-old Newburyport woman who they believe was involved in the incident.