ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer held his annual State of Downtown address on Wednesday afternoon at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
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Dyer said the city will need to continue to tackle homelessness and safety in downtown to attract more workers.
He said to make downtown more safe, the city will need to add more police presence, especially during the weekends.
“Keeping downtown safe remains our top priority,” Dyer said. “Let us be very clear: We’re going to do whatever it takes to address this challenge.”
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He highlighted the permits that nightclubs and bars are now required to have that allowed the city to add 30 more officers to help patrol downtown Fridays and Saturdays.
The city has also implemented a DUI unit solely focused on downtown.
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