A Georgia City Is Mandating That Bars Close Earlier. Officials Say It Will Help Cut Crime

MACON, Ga. (AP) Officials in middle Georgia's largest city are mandating that bars close at 2 a.m., an hour earlier than currently allowed, saying they believe an earlier closing time will reduce late-night crime.

Macon-Bibb commissioners voted 5-4 on Tuesday in favor of earlier closings.

Bars in Macon were already mandated to stop serving alcohol at 2 a.m., but were allowed to stay open an hour later, which meant customers could order drinks at last call and consume them over the next hour. Bar owners say the new closing time will effectively move up when they stop serving alcohol to make sure patrons leave on time, even though they can still sell it until 2 a.m.

Alcohol regulation is a sensitive topic in Macon, where Bibb County Sheriff David Davis has suspended or revoked some liquor licenses in the wake of widely publicized shootings outside the businesses, claiming the bars are creating a danger to the public.