Reaction to downtown Kissimmee police patrols
Dear Editor:
As a longtime lover of downtown Kissimmee, I want to extend kudos to the city leaders for addressing the alcohol and noise problem.
I never remember police patrolling downtown on the weekends. It is obvious there is too much alcohol after midnight. Why? Perhaps because business owners only care about money, not people. Too many bars result in too much drinking in such a small area, not to mention the concentration of loud music. If they have enough on their plates, we do not need our officers patrolling the streets. If this is to happen then, yes, raise those permit fees and issue very strict ones.
The last time I was there, it was so hard to even have a conversation with bars playing different music at super high volume. I miss the vintage cars and that classy feel — Kissimmee needs to be regulated, kept clean and not unsafe. Some businesses don’t clean up their fronts — this was never a problem before.
Growing is good, if done in the right way. I hope downtown’s direction is forward, with boundaries that need to be in place without resembling a policed environment. Seeing so many police around gives off a look like they are expecting problems.
Elba Rodriguez
Kissimmee
