Night moves: Safety the focus of downtown debate

In the spirit of the season, Greenville's raucous Halloween party downtown will once again provide both trick and treat for this community. While thousands of revelers will flood the city's heart to enjoy the annual celebration, the security demands of the event require extensive planning, considerable manpower and significant expense.

Though the consumption of those resources haunts taxpayers and public officials each year, it is a price tag that the city has collectively agreed to accept in the interest of public safety. A similar debate has been central to this year's municipal campaign, and voters will determine a course of action when they cast ballots on Tuesday.

With pleasant temperatures expected on the rare Saturday Halloween, thousands of costumed revelers are expected in downtown Greenville this year for the annual festivities. The event is one of the city's largest gatherings, and an opportune night for restaurants, bars and nightclubs downtown to enjoy a financial windfall.

Ensuring that the party proceeds without incident will be a phalanx of law enforcement officers and fire/rescue workers from around the region. They will staff checkpoints, search for weapons and manage the crowd as it swells to fill the streets. Their goal is simple: to provide a safe and enjoyable atmosphere, free from violence, for those downtown to enjoy.

That is the system every year, and Greenville budgets to ensure that the annual expense incurred is accommodated. The city has tried in the past to dampen or end the festivities — following riots in the 1970s and about 140 arrests in 1989 — to no avail. Halloween is now part of the city's fabric, with taxpayers accepting the bill each year.

That is the heart of the issue now facing downtown the other 364 days of the year. Following the tragic shooting deaths of two men in July, the City Council bolstered the law enforcement presence in the interest of public safety. However, the additional staffing comes at a greater expense, one now paid for entirely by city funds.

A proposed ordinance would alter that balance, requiring nightclubs and bars to pay for off-duty officers to work at their establishments, reducing the city's expense. The council will ultimately decide the best course of action, following Tuesday's election.

The city must find a way to reduce crime and to do so in a thoughtful and equitable manner. The downtown issue has been central to debate in the municipal campaign, and voters will help determine how the city should proceed on this very crucial issue.