Council Member Wants Naperville To Consider Earlier Closing Time For Bars

(CBS) -- Bar patrons in Naperville may soon have less time to get their drink on after a string of incidents. WBBM's Nancy Harty reports on a proposal to move up last call.

Joe McElroy is encouraging his fellow city council members to consider at next month's meeting requiring bars to close earlier than the current 1 a.m. weekday closing time and 2 a.m. on weekends. However, he says he has heard a proposal from bar owners that may make even more sense.

"Closing at one o'clock but not allowing shots to be served after midnight because I think that the abuse of drinking shots is part of the problem," said McElroy.

McElroy says the problem has played out in the form of a fatal stabbing in a bar two years ago and earlier this month a brawl on Washington Street and two drowning deaths at the hands of an alleged drunken driver.
"We want and we have a vibrant downtown but it is a matter of making sure we don't cross the line from vibrant to rowdy," McElroy said.