Fort Lauderdale police and city officials announced that they are cracking down on crime in the Himmarshee Entertainment District to push back on a recent uptick in violence and underage drinking in the area.
Police said the department will step up enforcement and work closely with the Florida Highway Patrol and the the department of Alcohol, Beverage and Tobacco in the district along Las Olas Boulevard, near Southwest Second Avenue and Southwest Second Street. The new enforcement efforts include a surge in police presence during peak nighttime hours, targeted enforcement operations and more light towers, and metal barricades.
The district is known for its nightlife, with numerous bars and restaurants open late, drawing crowds — and, more recently, crime.
“Himmarshee is open for business, but it is not and never will be open for lawlessness,” Fort Lauderdale Police Chief William Schultz said as he issued a stern warning about violence during a news conference Tuesday morning. He said he wants to make the district safer for residents and visitors.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Chief Stephen Gollan said underage drinking in the district has led to more emergency calls in the entertainment district between midnight and 4 a.m., mostly “pass-outs” in people between 18 and 24 years old.
Schultz said high school students from throughout Broward County are coming to the district. Police plan to send notices to school district administrators and bar owners, asking for their cooperation in addressing safety concerns. Schultz said the increased enforcement includes closer police monitoring of how carefully nightclubs check customers’ identification to reduce underage drinking.
Recent incidents involving gunfire and fights raised the concerns about violence in the district that led to Tuesday’s announcement of increased safety measures.
In September, police had been trying to break up a fight when shots rang out. Police recovered a firearm, and although no victim was identified at the scene, a man later arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound. In July, a shooting in a parking garage left a 43-year-old man wounded. A street fight broke out on Himmarshee Street outside the Dicey Riley’s Irish Pub about 3 a.m. on March 18, during the height of Spring Break. The New York Post had posted a video with the headline “Spring Breaker beaten in brawl outside Fort Lauderdale bar.”
And in December 2025, five people were shot and transported to an area hospital after gunfire outside Dicey Riley’s.
In response to the 2025 incident, city officials had said they were “working on a multifaceted revitalization plan to address issues related to late-night activity in the Himmarshee Village Historic District,” and would take “additional steps to ensure a safe environment” around the city ahead of New Year’s.
Earlier this year, Fort Lauderdale officials approved measures to make the popular nightlife destination safer. In spring, city commissioners approved an ordinance banning open containers and outdoor alcohol sales in the nightlife district, despite objections from some business owners. The new rules aim to prevent people from roaming from bar to bar with an alcoholic beverage in hand. City leaders are now considering additional measures, including proposed ordinance changes that would increase fines for alcohol-related violations and establish new requirements for businesses operating late at night.
Speaking at Tuesday’s news conference, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said Himmarshee must become safer.
The Himmarshee arts and entertainment district includes the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, which draws thousands of theater-goers during the season.
“Himmarshee is an important part of Fort Lauderdale. We believe in its future, and we want it to succeed, but it must be built on a foundation of public safety,” Trantalis said.
Speaking in favor of restrictions on bars earlier this year, Alan Hooper, a board member of Fort Lauderdale’s Downtown Development Authority, called the Broward Center a critical economic jewel for the city.
“It’s one of the biggest draws that would make people — or CEOs of new businesses — want to move here,” he told the commission. “That is, until they see the social media, the stabbings, the shootings, the fighting. You almost feel like you need to put caution tape across Second Street when the shows are letting out so the patrons don’t take a dangerously bad right turn and go down Second Street.”
This article was supplemented by information from the South Florida Sun Sentinel archives.