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A report recently released by the Madison Police Department revealed the city spends more than $1.3 million annually responding to alcohol-related problems at bars and restaurants.

According to the report, 6.4 percent of calls fielded by the department are alcohol-related. The average call took 4.8 hours of police time, which is extremely high, Sgt. Emil Quast said. He said the calls researched were in response to issues such as aggravated battery, battery, fights, disturbances, intoxicated persons and liquor-law violations at restaurants and bars.

Quast, who prepared the report, said he hopes the findings will prompt the city to change how liquor licenses are distributed.

Quast said the problem stems in large part from some restaurants remaining open after hours in order to serve alcohol and provide entertainment. He said the increasingly competitive downtown entertainment industry has forced these businesses to stay open later in order to survive.

“The problem is these restaurants are not knowledgeable about how to run a nightclub,” Quast said, adding that inadequate security and underage drinking are problems in these facilities. “This is what contributes to the number of problems we see at these places.”

The Alcohol License and Review Committee will hold an open meeting Jan. 23 to analyze the report and discuss possible solutions for the findings.

Stephanie Rearick, a member of the ALRC and chair of a special subcommittee that will review the report, said the city should have a valid plan for how it distributes liquor licenses, something that is presently not in place.

“Most cities have some way to regulate their liquor licenses,” Quast said. “As of right now, Madison does not.”

Quast and Rearick both feel the community should work cooperatively to create a solution for the growing problem.

Quast suggested the city examine how other cities have dealt with the issue when deciding how best to handle and regulate liquor licenses. Quast added that he thought alders and other city officials, not the police department, should be in charge of coming up with the new regulations.

Students especially need to be involved in the process of finding a plan of action in order to save venues providing live music, according to Rearick. She said the downtown area needs more alcohol-free opportunities in order for problems to subside.

“Students need more options,” Rearick said. “We do not want to discourage music venues.” Rearick said the report stated music venues were not where the majority of destructive behavior occurred.

Kenneth Kamp, chairman of the ALRC, said that presently, the subcommittee does not have any special plan of action.

“Our goal is to have a very safe city. If it is necessary to do something special, we will,” Kamp said.