Brownsville police introduce 'impact team' as part of crackdown in entertainment district
To help improve safety in the Midtown Entertainment District, the Brownsville Police Department has introduced an "impact team."
It's made up of officers who patrol the area during peak hours, along with new technology to support those efforts.
"We did see more establishments in that area. Also, a lot that we're accounting for is the patrols that the officers set up. So every time an officer is getting down in that area to make sure that everything's under control, they call it off to dispatch, and a call gets generated," Brownsville police spokesperson Abril Luna said.
Brownsville police shared some statistics with Channel 5 News that show the number of calls coming from the bar district over the years.
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In 2023, police responded to 921 calls, but that number dropped to 577 calls in 2024 and in 2025 calls increased to 765.
Police say these numbers represent only some of the calls officers have responded to in the district.
The city is working to enforce an ordinance that would regulate businesses serving alcohol between midnight and 2 a.m.
The final reading of that ordinance is set for later this month.