In recent months the Frederick Police Department has responded to an uptick in community concerns surrounding nighttime establishments such as bars, stores and restaurants regarding increased noise, liquor and code violations, and, in some infrequent instances, criminal acts committed by patrons of those establishments.
In order to best address these important community concerns, the Frederick Police Department recently launched the Nighttime Economy Taskforce (NET) in coordination with representatives from Frederick County’s Liquor Board, State's Attorneys Office, Health Department, Division of Fire and Rescue Services, as well as a number of City departments, including the Office of the Mayor, Economic Development, and Planning.
The Nighttime Economy Taskforce aims to bring a collaborative approach to solving quality of life issues at bars, stores and restaurants by streamlining communication between the partnering agencies, tracking trends brought forward by residents and fellow business owners, and brainstorming the best solution to those challenges.
“When it comes to addressing community complaints related to liquor-serving establishments, law enforcement is only one piece of the puzzle,” said Police Chief Jason Lando. “We cannot be successful without engaging a number of City and County entities that each play a role in the safe operation of the numerous bars and restaurants in the City of Frederick.”
"The City of Frederick is committed to providing a high quality of life for its residents and initiating the Nighttime Economy Taskforce is an innovative approach for doing just that,” said Mayor Michael O’Connor. “Quality of life issues such as those occurring during the evening hours, often involving our bars and restaurants, defy one-size-fits-all solutions and frequently require multi-department and agency approaches to provide the best response for each issue. This task force will increase communication and collaboration between City Departments, and with many allied agencies who have a vested interest in maintaining Frederick's high quality of life. My administration is proud of this initiative and thankful to all the partners who have agreed to be a part of it."
This Taskforce is committed to being a positive partner with the City’s nighttime establishment owners and is not meant to be a punitive body. As with many FPD initiatives, NET’s goal is to educate the establishments and achieve voluntary compliance and ensure the residents of the City that businesses are being responsible neighbors.
“The SAO is pleased to work with Frederick Police Department as they build better neighborhoods by leading the effort with other City and County agencies to bring local businesses into compliance with laws and ordinances,” said Frederick County State’s Attorney Charlie Smith.
“The Frederick County Liquor Board has a duty to the balance compliance issues, regulate alcohol sales, and overall public safety that involves our licensed establishments,” said Dawn Shugars, administrative specialist for the Frederick County Liquor Board. “This task force is creating a platform for various County and City agencies to share ideas, be proactive, and allow an open, collaborative environment to offer solutions. This taskforce allows our agencies to share their knowledge and information with one another. It is an opportunity to gain an open perspective of the challenges a certain agency may be facing and offer up various solutions to an issue. We pleased to be a part of such a positive movement in Frederick County.”