Earlier this year, the St. Petersburg City Council followed Pinellas County’s lead and voted to extend the city’s maximum bar hours from 2 A.M. to 3 A.M. Although the Council’s decision to extend “closing time” by one hour might seem mundane, there may be some cause for concern.
Bar owners and others in support of the extension argued that the extension would be good for St. Petersburg and Pinellas County establishments as a whole since it would allow them to compete with Hillsborough County establishments for crucial night and weekend business. Proponents of the extension also argued that the extension should result in fewer impaired drivers and fatal crashes, since the Pinellas patrons would no longer have to travel long distances late at night and over the Howard Franklin and Gandy bridge to visit bars in Hillsborough County.
However, St. Petersburg Police Chief Chuck Harmon recently told the St. Petersburg City Council that the expanded bar hours have made a huge impact on both calls to the station and the deployment of Officers, particularly in the busy downtown area. Since the new hours recently took effect, the St. Petersburg Police Department reports that it has recorded 228 calls directing officers to specific tasks in the downtown area between midnight and 3 A.M. This number represents a dramatic increase in the number of calls from the same time period before the extended hours took effect; previously the department received 14 calls that directed officers to specific tasks concerning the downtown area. The department also states that it received more general calls for service following the ban as well; those calls rose to 332 from 245 prior to the extension.
The department's early statistic's do not directly support MADD's position that the longer operating hours of these drinking establishments translates into more impaired drivers on Pinellas County roadways. But, they are clearly reflecting increased police activity and arrests. Nevertheless, it is important to note that a 2007 study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, revealed that the largest percentage of impaired drivers involved in a fatal crash occurred between the hours of 12 AM and 3 AM.
You can bet that those sobering statistics along with St. Pete's extended bar hours have the increased number of local patrol officers on high alert for impaired drivers.These officers will be stopping motorists by the score. They will be subjecting them to videotaped roadside field sobriety tests and those who fail will face the difficult choice of deciding whether to submit to intoxilyzer testing.
Bottom line: When we saw Police Chief Chuck Harmon's recent comments...we could read between the lines.
The Law Office of Russo & Russo represent clients charged with DUI offenses arising out of St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and all other areas of Pinellas County. We are former state prosecutors and lawyers who are breath test operators. You can count on our attorneys to closely scrutinize the evidence in your case. Free Consultations: (727) 578-0303
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Other Links:
Clearwater, Other Pinellas Cities to Decide Bar Hours
Largo Allows Alcohol Sales Until 3 AM
Atlanta Considers 4AM Bar Closing Time
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Florida's DUI Penalties
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