The package of new regulations will be presented by the mayor of Doral, Christi Fraga, in response to the shooting that left two people dead and seven more injured at Martini Bar on April 6. However, differences between the mayor and a part of the Council could lead to the failure of the initiative, which already has as a precedent a community workshop that was not attended by all the councilors of that municipality assigned to Miami-Dade.
New measures
In general terms, Mayor Fraga’s legislative project proposes a change in the operating hours of bars and nightclubs, going from 4:00 am to 2:00 am as the closing time. Additionally, she proposes suspending liquor sales at 1:30 a.m., as opposed to 3:30 a.m., which is the current schedule.
Likewise, the rule stipulates the implementation of public access controls with metal detection devices to prevent the carrying of firearms in these high-traffic places, in accordance with a provision of the Florida state code.
The mayor explained to DIARIO LAS AMERICAS that his initial intention was to present the draft ordinance in the Council this April, “but,” he said, “there is a state rule that requires us to publish a notice for 14 days, before any change in the city’s zoning.”
Therefore, the proposal will be debated in the first reading on May 8 and, if approved, it would go to its second and final reading in June. “This could have moved faster, but the Council voted to remove the zoning meetings and that’s why we have to wait until May and June,” he said.
Fraga pointed out that the new measures would also include a greater presence of police to increase security, “which will be paid for by the owners of these establishments.
He questioned that “a 2022 municipal law” created “some ambiguity” about the number of officers that can be assigned to bar and nightclub protection schemes. “We are going to discuss this on May 8 so that everything is clear in the new ordinance. The owners of establishments may also be there to express their points of view,” he assured.
The package of measures also contemplates the presentation of a “security plan” by the business owners, “which will have to be discussed with the Doral Police Department.”
Failure to comply with the ordinance, if it is endorsed by the majority of the Council, could lead to fines and even the closure of an offending establishment, according to what was expressed by the mayor.
Support for the ordinance
Rafael Pineyro, Doral councilman, stated that he agrees with the ordinance proposed by the mayor because “our city is family-oriented and residential,” while calling on his colleagues to support it “for the well-being of our residents.”
The legislator added that “although there are differences within the Council, at a political level, I hope that my colleagues think about the common good and the safety of the residents of Doral, which, at the end of the day, that is the function for which they elected us.” ”.
In this context, Pineyro questioned the non-attendance of “three councilors (Maureen Porras, Digna Cabral and Oscar Puig)” at the workshop convened by the mayor on April 10, four days after the tragedy at the bar located in City Place.
He highlighted that Councilor Fraga “gave two time options”, at 3:00 pm or 7:00 pm, and that “the three members of the Council said no to both times.” DIARIO LAS AMERICAS He left audio and text messages on Councilor Digna Cabral’s answering machine to find out what she thought of the announced rules, but we did not receive a response.
“This is very unfortunate, because you cannot play politics. When we talk about a public safety issue and such a sensitive issue, this is very sad,” she said.
Rafael Pineyro Vice Mayor Doral by Cortesia.jpg
CITY OF DORAL
Meanwhile, the councilman said the ordinance is likely not to be well received by nightlife establishment owners. “They must understand that this is not something that is being done against their businesses, but for the protection of both residents and those who visit these premises,” he explained.
The legislator asserted that the number of incidents reported in City Place decreased between 2022 and 2023, which he attributed to the agreement last year to assign an off-duty police officer to each bar or nightclub in that shopping center.
“That helped even fewer injuries (at Martini Bar) because a police officer was able to enter, act and neutralize the individual who was shooting,” he said.
What happened at the bar
The events that are motivating the possible changes in Doral occurred around 3:30 in the morning on Saturday, April 6, after an argument between clients escalated.
According to investigations, the incident began in the patio of Martini Bar. Then a security guard intervened and one of the participants in the dispute pulled out a gun and shot the employee, causing his death.
In response to what happened, two police officers intervened in the brawl, after which an exchange of shots took place between the officers and the armed individual, who was finally killed.
Doral Police Chief Edwin López said that in the middle of the shooting seven other people were injured, including an officer.
“The heroic actions of our police officers today prevented a serious situation from occurring,” Lopez said.
The dead security guard was identified as George Castellanos, 23, a student at Florida International University (FIU). Authorities identified the alleged attacker as Jamal Wayne Wood, 37.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the incident arose after an argument between Wood and a woman “over a chair or a cushion.”
The murdered security guard leaves behind a fourteen-month-old daughter and was just one month away from graduating with a degree in Biological Sciences at FIU, with a specialization in Criminal Justice.
His father, Jorge Castellanos, in statements to local media, described him “as a good son and a good father.” “They killed him, it was not an accident, they killed him, unjustly, for pleasure.”
“The only thing he did was separate the fight, get in the middle of the gun so that nothing else would happen and they killed him. He had no weapon, he only had a flash light to say ‘there is an incident’ and he died to protect others, a wonderful son, a wonderful father,” he added.
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