KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Kissimmee leaders and bar owners took part in a workshop meeting on Tuesday at city hall to address safety concerns downtown.
The meeting comes after several firearm-related incidents.
Kissimmee Police Chief Betty Holland said despite the perception, violent incidents downtown have not significantly increased. Just Monday night, one man was killed and another injured in a shooting near Tampa Avenue, according to law enforcement.
“We still have our issues. We are still going to have certain instances that did occur during the last year have been isolated. Preventable on some peoples’ part, but sometimes when alcohol, you know people get together and things happen. We do want to try and prevent that,” Holland said.
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Kissimmee Police said so far in 2023, there have been several instances of bullet casing found in the roadway and three instances where someone brandished a firearm. This includes a shooting on June 4th which resulted in one person being shot after trying to subdue a man who walked into a bar with his gun pointed at the people inside.
“We Are going to continue to work with businesses. The police department will be there. We want people to visit our downtown, but we also want it to be safe,” Holland said.
Kissimmee Police said after speaking with business owners, their next step will be to determine the cost to the city associated with adding officers to the downtown bar corridor.
Long-time resident Aileen O’Donnel said she enjoys visiting businesses in downtown Kissimmee. She said most incidents downtown are isolated.
“The whole area is changing. It’s very diverse now. It’s really busy,” O’Donnell said.
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