The city of Brownsville just rolled out two major ordinances that will change how bars operate across almost the entire city, bringing stricter safety measures to nightlife hotspots beyond just one district.

These new rules expand regulations that were first tested in the midtown entertainment district and now cover what officials are calling the downtown entertainment district and the newly created central entertainment district, which stretches across most of the city's commercial zones.

Bar owners will now be required to install cameras at all entrances and exits and keep those recordings for at least 14 days. They'll also need to buy ID verification devices that scan every customer's identification at the door.

"It's a two-system check. So not only does the bouncer check the ID, but the IDs have to be scanned through an ID scanner," Brownsville Commissioner Tino Villarreal said.

Villarreal said the goal is simple: make Brownsville's nightlife safer for everyone who goes out.

"When we started talking to bar owners and business owners we wanted to create an ordinance where nightlife in Brownsville could be safe," he said.

The push to expand these rules came after ongoing issues in the area on Pablo Kisel Boulevard, known as the midtown entertainment district, where police have responded to multiple fights and other crimes in recent months.

"We know that the sore spot right now is Pablo Kisel. But creating certain rules and ordinances at Pablo Kisel, what's that to stop them from moving to another part of the city," Villarreal said.

Daniel Alvarado, owner of The Kraken Lounge in the downtown area, said he's been running his bar for 10 years and already follows many of these safety practices.

"I've been here for 10 years and I rarely have any issues. But the reality is that we do sell alcohol and liquor and something is bound to happen," Alvarado said.

He said the new requirements won't hurt his business and might actually help customers feel more secure when they walk through the door.

"A lot of these ordinances are stuff that I think every bar should already have," Alvarado said. "I don't think it's gonna affect me in any way. If anything it's gonna make my customers feel a little more safe." 

Bars that don't comply with the new rules could face fines and be required to hire their own security.

Businesses have two weeks to get the required equipment before police start enforcing the ordinances.