ORLANDO, Fla. – Several bars in Orlando are now suing the city after being forced to pay thousands of dollars for police protection, according to court records filed last month.
The issue stems back to last year, when the city imposed new rules for downtown Orlando bars.
Following a number of shootings in the area in 2021 and 2022, the city decided to implement the rules in an attempt to improve safety and draw more people to the district.
These rules included prohibiting bars from selling alcohol after midnight without a $250 permit and requiring many downtown businesses to pay for off-duty police officers.
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However, the lawsuit claims the city never examined whether the shootings had any link to the Orlando bars.
“None of the perpetrators was a customer of or had any connection to Plaintiffs or the other businesses in within the DEA (Downtown Entertainment Area),” the lawsuit reads. “Many of the incidents occurred in areas that are exclusively within the control of the City, such as public streets and parking garages.”
While the rules impact 33 businesses in the DEA, only seven have filed on as plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the city.
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Aero Rooftop Bar & Lounge
According to the lawsuit, each of these businesses — despite already hiring their own security — is required to pay for police protection fees on a monthly basis.
| Venue | Monthly Fee | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Celine | $12,090 | $145,080 |
| The Beacham | $12,090 | $145,080 |
| The Social | $4,290 | $51,480 |
| Aero | $4,290 | $51,480 |
| 64 North | $4,290 | $51,480 |
| The Patio | $4,290 | $51,480 |
| The Corner | $8,580 | $95,040 |
| TOTAL | $49,920 | $591,120 |
As of Sept. 2024, these bars have accrued close to $850,000 in police protection fees.
“Plaintiffs have tried to request that these excessive fees be lifted,” the lawsuit reads. “However, the city has refused.”
This is especially a problem for businesses like Celine Orlando, which the lawsuit claims has had its entire profit margin consumed by the monthly fees during many months since the rules took effect.
And despite the heavy costs, not one Orlando officer has been stationed inside the venue, the lawsuit adds.
In addition, the lawsuit claims that city officials have warned them that if these businesses protested the requirements, it could be met with even further restrictions on their abilities to operate.
“When Plaintiffs complained about the excessive and unfair Police Protection Fees imposed upon them under the ordinance, the city threatened to close them down at 12 p.m.,” the lawsuit states.
As a result of all these actions, the lawsuit accuses the city of infringing upon these businesses’ due process rights, as well as violating both the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution.
Due to this, these businesses are seeking monetary damages and a permanent injunction against the city’s ordinance.
The full lawsuit has been included and can be read by scrolling below:
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