GREEN BAY, WI -- Green Bay's police chief says a ban on single serve beer and alcohol sales within city limits wouldn't solve booze-related problems.
The message comes in response to a proposal back in April, banning access to single beer and liquor bottles.
Proponents of this proposal say banning access to cheap, single-serve alcohol would help cut back on alcohol-related issues, like littering and panhandling.
But not everyone was convinced that a ban would solve the issues, including Chief Smith, who asked for six months to increase patrols in neighborhoods of concern, and collect data on the issue.
On Monday night, Chief smith explained to the Protection and Welfare Committee, first and foremost, the issue of empty single-serve beer and alcohol containers becoming litter is not prevalent.
Smith also explained that police have increased foot patrols in neighborhoods of concern, and have been working with are businesses to promote cleaning up storefronts.
Smith says these efforts have been effective in reducing alcohol-related issues.
"It's a great way to work with the community," explaned Smith. "Getting the store owners, and the shop owners to assist us with keeping the neighborhood clean is one of the directions I give to senior lead officers that have been selected for that area. So yes, we definitely intend to continue to do this."
Chief Smith also says, through their research, they've learned that alcohol-related issues aren't typically stemming from single-serve liquor purchases. Rather, Smith says perpetrators are more often purchasing 12-packs of cheap, bulk booze, and drinking them.
Alderman Guy Zima says he brought forth the proposal after seeing issues in older neighborhoods, in particular, regarding public drunkenness, and violence.
The District 9 Alderman told NBC26 in November he wants it to be harder for alcoholics to buy cheap liquor.
"The more alcohol they can get their hands on, the more problems we're going to have in those areas," says Zima, "and the less likely people will want to live in those neighborhoods [or concern]."
Any proposal would have to be approved by the full city council.
