Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine wants changes in alcohol and noise regulations in the city after two people died over Memorial Day weekend in related shootings.
At a press conference Tuesday, the mayor proposed ending the sale of alcohol on Ocean Drive at 2 a.m. instead of 5 a.m. Levine unsuccessfully proposed a similar ordinance last summer. On Tuesday, he also suggested removing an exemption to a noise ordinance that lets clubs play loud music.
The mayor commended the Miami Beach Police Department for how it handled incidents over the weekend. He also insisted that violence is a problem throughout the year in Miami Beach, not just on busy holidays.
"Unfortunately, the issues that we have on Ocean Drive does not discriminate based on weekend. It's all year round that we have these issues on Ocean Drive," Levine said.
Both shootings over the weekend occurred before 2 a.m. The mayor said rather than hiring more police officers, a 2 a.m. alcohol ban will reduce the number of people who come out to party in Miami Beach in the first place.
"Folks are not going to come out to Ocean Drive to the same level if they realize they can't party all night," he said.
A mayor's office representative said city commissioners will discuss the proposals June 7.
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