Venue group urges Orlando to suspend late-night policing fees

A national organization representing independent music venues is asking Orlando to suspend police-protection fees charged to downtown businesses that serve alcohol after midnight.The National Independent Venue Association sent Mayor Buddy Dyer and the City Council a letter Wednesday, arguing that a small group of bars and entertainment venues is carrying an unfair share of downtown public safety costs.The request follows a long-running dispute over the permit program. Channel 9 previously reported that a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging the city’s late-night alcohol restrictions in September 2025.Group says businesses were billed $4.3 millionAccording to NIVA’s analysis of city billing records, Orlando invoiced 39 downtown establishments more than $4.3 million for off-duty police officers between June 2023 and August 2025.The association said 24 establishments were each billed more than $100,000 during that period, including about $331,000 for The Beacham and $329,000 for