Chattanooga Mayor issues executive order to combat nightlife violence
Station Street, (From Google Maps)
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly signed an executive order on Thursday which will affect businesses on and adjacent to Station Street. He issued the order out of a concern for public safety.
The executive order requires these businesses to stop serving alcohol by 12:30 a.m. It also requires them to close at or before 1 a.m.
In addition, the order suspends the open container allowance. This means people cannot bring open containers of alcohol outside any establishments on or around Station Street.
Kelly states that this is in response to a recent increase in violence in the Station Street district.
The order will go into effect on Friday, April 21. It will last 15 days, through May 5.
“Chattanooga’s nightlife is an important part of our vibrant culture, but a thriving nightlife must also be safe,” said Mayor Kelly. “I’m taking executive action to hit reset on Station Street to ensure that our residents and tourists remain safe and that our local businesses are a part of a sustainable, long-term safety plan that allows our city to have a safe, thriving nightlife.”
Kelly added that protecting Chattanoogans is his number one priority. He says these measures should be only temporary.
State law allows mayors to declare limited civil emergency, in order to protect public safety.
His office states that the order could be renewed on May 5 “if a sustainable safety plan has not been reached with law enforcement and business owners at that time.” He may also end the order sooner than May 5 is a plan is achieved ahead of schedule.
District Attorney Coty Wamp applauded this action by the mayor.
“The disorders and assaultive behavior typically happen late into the night and in the early morning hours, between 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. My office is supportive and appreciative of the City’s efforts to curb the violence,” she said.
Mayor Kelly’s administration explained that this order is based on dispatch calls and incident response from Chattanooga Police.
