About 11:55 p.m., a black car cut through a parking lot and halted in front of College Park Liquors. Several boys hurried inside. By 12:03 a.m., the boys were gone, the gates were down and lights were out.
College Park liquor stores are closing two hours earlier, following the June 1st enactment of a state law requiring Prince George’s County liquor stores to close at midnight.
The law has drawn a mixed reaction from late-night carry-out customers, many of whom, such as university graduate Jeff Burchman, found out about the law and its start date from a marquee posting in front of Town Hall Liquors.
“I just don’t like the law because it takes away the opportunity [to purchase alcohol late at night],” said Burchman. “It’s a real hit to the comfort of getting a new 30 [pack of beer].”
County officials hope the law will decrease crime in the county; the homicide rate increased 30 percent from last year and more than 70 murders have occurred in the county this year. The law was signed by Gov. Bob Ehrlich in late May.
The new law will, “…help improve the environments around those venues and help to reduce crime,” County Police Chief Melvin High said in a press release. Last year, 119 liquor stores in the county accounted for 34,000 calls to the police, High said.
Junior English major Brian Ames said he didn’t feel the earlier hours would be a problem — if partygoers were still trying to get alcohol after midnight, perhaps it would be better if they didn’t.
“If it’s two in the morning and you haven’t gotten alcohol yet, that’s kind of shady,” he said.
But student Adam Lloyd, a junior mechanical engineering major, was skeptical about how this law will improve safety in College Park. People try to blame crime on drinking, he said, but the city’s location next to Washington, coupled with the lack of police presence, are also to blame.
“It’s just going to send everyone to the liquor stores two hours earlier. It’s not going to stop anyone from drinking,” said Mark Beckhardt, a Beltsville resident. “You think of the midnight time as a time to get beer, but I guess you can’t do that anymore.”
The law will have a peculiar effect on establishments such as Town Hall Liquors, which has a bar adjoining the liquor store. Bars are still allowed to stay open as late as 2 a.m.; only carry-out sales are restricted.
Kevin Chase, a graduate student at University of Maryland University College is a frequenter of Town Hall Bar; he said he thinks this will mostly inconvenience people by disallowing them from buying cigarettes or using the ATM machine in the liquor store half of the establishment.
Number 1 Liquors Anuj Kapur has been confident consumers will soon become accustomed to the earlier closing time. Washington, Virginia and Montgomery County also have earlier closing times for liquor stores, which some county officials blamed for customers and crime gravitating toward Prince George’s County stores.
About 11:53 p.m. on Tuesday, a Holiday Inn van pulled into No.1 Liquor and a broad-shouldered man hopped out of the passenger seat. He hustled to the door as the driver and a female passenger looked on. Seconds later, he headed back to the car. “They’re closed,” the man said.
“Well, now where are we supposed to go?” the driver asked, standing halfway out of the van, with one foot on the pavement. But there was still time, and the man was motioned inside to make a final purchase.
