Sarasota Closes Up Early to Curb Crime

Night owls may have noticed their favorite haunts in North Sarasota have been closing a bit earlier in recent days.

That’s thanks to a July 31 meeting between Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino, City Manager Tom Barwin, residents of the area and business owners. The meeting was set to open a dialogue about curbing “late-night violence, qualify of life issues and proposed changes to retail business hours along the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way corridor,” an email to media from the police department stated.

As a result of that meeting, businesses in the area agreed to shut their doors at 2:30 a.m. and police agreed to increase their presence in the area.

“We all want the violence to stop,” DiPino was quoted in the release as saying. “We all want the shootings to stop. We will continue to work together to keep our community safe. Life is too precious.”

Do you think early closings will help curb crime? What else might help? Share your ideas by commenting below!