City council aims to increase fines on Baltimore businesses that serve students
BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore City Council is taking action to make sure students stay on campus during the school day.
"It really is just about safety about the young people," Baltimore City Councilman Kristerfer Burnett said.
City leaders met Wednesday to work on a bill amendment to try to deter businesses from serving students when they should be in school.
Students being served during school hours has been a major concern after a shooting in January at the Edmondson Village Shopping Center.
Five students were shot that day. One of them died from their injuries.
Police said they had walked over to the shopping center to eat lunch during the school day.
Burnett represents the district where the shooting occurred. He is the one who proposed the amendment.
"A number of community leaders came to me prior to and following the shooting at Edmondson of Edmondson students, saying, 'Look, something needs to be done with this,'' Burnett said. "'The businesses need to cooperate.'"
The city already has an ordinance that says businesses caught serving kids during the school day can be fined up to $500.
The council wants to amend the bill and increase the fine to $1,000 dollars.
The amendment is getting a lot of praise from people who live in Edmondson Village.
"I'm happy," Edmondson Village Neighborhood Association President Monique Washington said. "It's a start for our community."
Monique Washington is the President of the Edmondson Village Neighborhood Association.
She's been working with city leaders on this issue well before the shooting.
"It's long overdue," Washington said. "It should have been done a long time ago. At the end of the day, we just have to send a message."
This amendment is not set in stone just yet.
The city council is planning to host another hearing soon with the intention of inviting school leaders so they can have input before there's a vote.