Orange County

Downtown Orlando business owners meet with city officials, police to discuss violence downtown

ORLANDO, Fla. — Downtown Orlando business owners and the city of Orlando are meeting Wednesday evening to talk through issues impacting the area.

That includes an increase in violence downtown. Orlando police are also attending the meeting to discuss what can be done to change that trend.

READ: Person shot in neighborhood west of downtown Orlando, police say

Recent legislation passed by the city allowed OPD to have more of a presence downtown, and business owners will be able to report back if that’s doing enough during the meeting.

Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon told Channel 9 in the past that violence downtown isn’t stemming from one issue—but he believes the community needs to come together to stop it.

READ: Orlando to put $800K toward more police officers, cameras downtown

All the while business owners have said they don’t feel included in the discussion.

The city is hoping Wednesday’s discussion will help rectify that. Stay tuned to Channel 9 Eyewitness News for updates from the meeting.

READ: AAA: Nearly 48M Americans expected to travel for Fourth of July weekend

Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.