SPOKANE, Wash. — Mayor Lisa Brown recently proposed two ordinances aimed at cleaning up downtown Spokane.
Part of these new proposals would create a voluntary six-month ban on single serve alcohol containers after midnight.
Mayor Brown said alcohol-related offenses, like car accidents and physical attacks, have risen and this would help eliminate that convenience. The city said it’s seen a 56% jump in these alcohol-related crimes in the past three years.
“Although downtown Spokane is only about 3% of our area, it has most of our drug and alcohol-related offenses,” Mayor Brown said.
After six months, the city will review crime statistics and see if there’s a measurable difference in stores refusing single-servings after midnight.
“We’re talking about not making it convenient downtown and particularly after midnight,” Mayor Brown said. “It’s that after midnight timeframe that is truly associated with negative consequences that I think we don’t want in downtown Spokane.”
The city does not have the power to ban the sale of alcohol and off-premises businesses like convenience stores or liquor stores can opt in only if they want to.
“We don’t have the ability with city ordinances to actually ban these products, but we are going to work with them to educate them about the impacts, especially of sales after midnight,” Mayor Brown said.
Any businesses within the downtown area would be able to participate. The area expands from the freeway to the river and from around Division Street to Coeur d’Alene Park in Browne’s Addition.
“Having alcohol impact areas has shown to have a negative impact on illegal narcotics use as well,” said Mayor Brown. “What we’re saying is that we don’t want it to be convenient to get pipes and foils and single serve alcohol after midnight in downtown Spokane.”
Spokane has tried variations of this approach several times over the past two decades.
This proposal has not yet been passed by the city council.
Councilmember Paul Dillon will introduce these ordinances in early January and the council will hear public feedback.
Many businesses are more concerned with drug use in downtown.
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