Daytona police chief fed up with crime tells bar owners to 'start coming up with solutions'

DAYTONA BEACH - Somewhere between a woman opening fire on people in the Razzle's Nightclub parking lot in late July, and officers reporting that an inebriated 17-year-old girl drove into four people in that same parking lot this month, Police Chief Jakari Young decided he was done with diplomacy.

On Aug. 12 the chief suspended the permit that allows the Seabreeze Boulevard bar to stay open and serve alcoholic drinks between midnight and 2 a.m. Then at the urging of Young and a few of his officers, four days later Razzle's had a list of new rules imposed on it to regain use of that after-hours permit.

In a few weeks, bars across the city could be ordered to adhere to a nearly identical set of regulations and restrictions that will dictate everything from how large of a purse a woman can bring into a tavern to how nightclubs screen their customers for weapons.

"This is a great effort by the (city) staff in a short amount of time to respond to what is a major issue in our community," said Mayor Derrick Henry. "We are committed to a certain standard in the city, and if it's not met we're going to support the police chief to use all the resources in his bag."

At their Sept. 6 meeting, city commissioners will vote on an emergency ordinance that will spell out requirements for any bar that has an extended-hours permit that allows it to stay open and serve alcoholic beverages between 12 a.m. and 2 a.m.

Restaurants will not be impacted if the new parameters are adopted. The tougher rules would only target businesses that make at least 50% of their revenue from alcohol.

Unlike most Daytona Beach ordinances, the emergency measure will require only one vote, and it will require a supermajority of commissioners' support to be enacted. That means at least five of the seven commissioners will have to cast a yes vote for it to become city law.

New rules at Razzle's Nightclub

The ordinance is still being drafted, but it will have many of the same provisions Razzle's accepted after a special magistrate hearing last week ended with the bar regaining use of its extended-hours permit.

Razzle's new restrictions include limiting the size of bags or purses to 5 inches by 9 inches by 2 inches; banning backpacks; requiring metal detectors at entrances; and using scanners or card readers to check the authenticity of identification cards.

Razzle's also has to have a table near the entrance for security officers to search purses and other personal items, and the business is required to maintain signage inside and outside the establishment announcing the increased security measures. Some of that signage will warn customers they can't drink alcoholic beverages in the parking lot, a persistent problem at the club.

The nightclub also has to provide additional training for security workers and bar staff. And the business is mandated to station at least one security officer in the parking lot when the business is open, and two officers on Friday and Saturday nights as well as during special events such as Spring Break.

Razzle's voluntarily offered to operate under some of those new restrictions, said local attorney Aaron Delgado, who represented the bar at last week's special magistrate hearing. The bar immediately made adjustments, and was able to again operate after midnight after police ensured the mandated changes had been made.

"We're in compliance with everything," Delgado said this week. "My client will go above and beyond."

Getting all the security measures in place wasn't cheap, Delgado said, and he noted that some Daytona Beach bars might struggle to cover the costs if new rules are imposed.

Razzle's had already purchased two metal detectors last year, which Delgado said each cost somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000. The Seabreeze club also chose a state-of-the-art scanner for identification card checks that's very effective at catching fake ID's, but expensive: at least $30,000 per year.

Delgado said the new scanners already caught about a half-dozen fake IDs over the past week.

There's also the cost of paying employees who move patrons through the metal detector and ID checks, as well as the security officers stationed outside whose pay can range from $20 to $60 per hour.

What all Daytona bar owners could soon face

The city has been trying for years to reduce the crime and mayhem large crowds bring to Seabreeze Boulevard every weekend, and nightclubs have been ordered to make changes to keep their after-hours permits.

Bars already have to maintain security cameras on their property and employ security officers.

They can have their permit suspended if it's determined their customers are repeatedly parking illegally; the bar is generating excessive law enforcement calls for service for anything ranging from underage drinking to aggravated assault; or the nightclub's customers or employees are creating adverse impacts on neighboring properties such as vandalizing a home, trespassing or littering in someone's yard.

The city commission can suspend an after-hours permit for 30-90 days, and it can impose restrictions upon reopening.

At the Aug. 16 City Commission meeting, City Attorney Ben Gross said commissioners can consider building on those existing restrictions. The new measure will get more specific about the types of violations that can lead to a permit suspension, such as drug sales on the establishment's property.

The chief could also order a bar to install additional lighting or cameras under the measure being drafted.

The draft measure also says extended-hours permit applicants will have to meet with top city staff, and their permit will have to be approved by the city manager and police chief. Now people just fill out applications and await a decision on approval.

The proposed ordinance will also include a procedure for revoking an after-hours permit if a business has three permit suspensions in one year. The current measure only allows for suspension.

Chief to bar owners: 'Start coming up with solutions'

Young said bar owners "need to start coming up with solutions to what's going on and do more to ensure that people are safe while on their property."

The proposed measure commissioners will discuss in a few weeks, which is modeled on an Orlando ordinance, would not remove businesses' right to appeal to a special magistrate.

Daytona Seabreeze bar gets restrictions: Razzle's gets a reprieve; nightclub gets permission to stay open past midnight

City Commissioner Ken Strickland, whose zone includes the north end of the city's beachside, said he wants to see a level playing field for the city's bars.

"I think we need to have the same rules and punishments for everybody," Strickland said. "We'll have to change some things and tighten it up a bit."

The mayor also said he supports stricter rules for bars.

"I'm in favor of allowing them to have extended-hours permits, but we also need to have tough enforcement," Henry said.

You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Rule changes being considered for Daytona Beach bars next month