Last week Ward 1 Council member Jim Graham announced he had secured $1 million to subsidize the hiring of off-duty MPD officers outside District bars and clubs.

Businesses that sell alcohol are not allowed to directly hire off-duty officers, and must hire them through the police department at a rate of approximately $56 an hour. The new subsidy means the ABC Board can now provide up to a 50 percent discount on the price of hiring police officers to stand outside bars at closing times. The subsidy would make the price of hiring officers roughly the same as what businesses that do not sell alcohol currently pay.

“The subsidy program will encourage the hire of officers by reducing these costs,” Graham said in a statement. “As a result of the program, more officers can be deployed in Adams Morgan, U Street, or other DC entertainment areas to protect the public outside bars during late night hours.”

The onus will still be on the bars and clubs to take advantage of the subsidy and spend the roughly $28 an hour to hire officers. We can imagine, however, a number of neighborhood associations and ANCs could be interested in using the new subsidy as justification for adding mandatory hiring of officers on weekend nights into voluntary agreements they have with these kinds of businesses.

Photo by AquaAmber