Combating Crime by Clearing Bars in Orangeburg County

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Orangeburg, S.C. (WOLO) — The drinks could soon stop flowing a little earlier in Orangeburg County in an effort to deter crime in the early morning hours. According to County Administrator Harold Young, “We just didn’t see a need for alcohol consumption after 2 o’clock in the morning on the premises outside an establishment.” If passed, the ordinance would prohibit the sale and consumption of alcohol on the premises of commercial establishments in unincorporated areas of the county from 2 until 6 a.m. Additionally all non employees must vacate the premises by 2:30. Young tells ABC Columbia, “In essence this is a way to you know, those wee hours in the morning when people tend to have a little bit too much to drink and get heated the bad things happen and we’re trying to curtail that.” Establishments and individuals in violation of the ordinance would face up to $500 in fines or 30 days in jail. Even bars who say they’re willing to comply have some concerns. Margaret Kneece, Bar Manager at Mikey’s says, “It could effect us on Friday nights when they like to go out at 1 and 2 and be out pretty late. They could just say well I know I’m going to have to leave Mikey’s lets just go to such in such.” For club and bar management, they say the new ordinance raises an additional concern for how it will impact patrons once they pull off the premises. “They’re going to binge drink between 12:30 and 2 because they’re going to pack in every shot and every drink they can slam until 2 o’clock because they know they’re getting cut off. Then you’re going to have some really wasted people hitting the streets at 2 a-m,” Kneece explains. But county officials feel the ordinance will have the opposite effect, making the county an overall safer place “You want to have a good time, you don’t want to run the risk of start something all together that gets an innocent bystander killed,” says Young. The ordinance, which would not apply to private clubs, goes for its third reading on November 16th and if passed will go into effect immediately.