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Kansas City, Missouri, officials are considering a new ordinance that would ban the sale of single bottles of beer and alcoholic shots at certain businesses in an effort to address the link between crime and alcohol use.
The proposed ordinance comes as community leaders point to the concentration of liquor stores in some neighborhoods as a contributing factor to street-level problems.
"You have a liquor store on almost every single corner," said Councilwoman Melissa Robinson, who represents the city's 3rd District.
The city held a town hall Saturday for the Prospect Avenue corridor to discuss the new ordinance that would limit certain types of alcohol sales in the community.
Marquita Taylor is president of the Santa Fe area council neighborhood association.
"We have to do something to stop the bleeding that we have in our community," Taylor said.
Mayor Quinton Lucas explained the reasoning behind the proposed restrictions.
"When you have a concentration of liquor stores, when you have a concentration of the same behavior, we have a bunch of people that are coming in and getting very cheap beverages in and out and drinking on the street corner and going right back and drinking on the street corner again, that is the issue we need to deal with," Lucas said.
If approved, the ordinance would prevent certain businesses, such as gas stations and liquor stores, from selling single bottles of alcohol, including beer, pints, and shooter shots. However, it wouldn't apply to grocery stores.
As they prepare to open a new grocery store on 31st and Prospect, the city says the owners have already determined they won't sell those products in an effort to reduce unwanted activity.
"We are trying to open up another store so that we can have fresh food in our neighborhood," Taylor said. "They know the reasons that the store closed are because of small alcohol sales at convenience stores in our area."
The ordinance is set to go before the council on March 3.
Gerome King, a harm reduction coalition and neighborhood advocate, believes the change could make a difference.
"Less loitering, and with less loitering, then you'll have less crime," King said.
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