HAMMOND - The Hammond City Council tabled an ordinance to ban individuals under the age of 21 from entering standalone bars and nightclubs.

Residents and bar owners were ready to voice their disapproval of the ordinance, but never got a chance to speak on the issue. One of those bar owners, Dan Lambert, owner of Cate Street Pub, said his bar charges double for people who are not old enough to buy alcohol, and anyone under 18 is not allowed.

"They pay more because they are not allowed to buy alcohol, so their cover charge is usually higher; it is $5 for over 21 and $10 for under. If it's $10, it's $20, so the price increases significantly if you are under 21. Now, we make a lot of our money from the cover charge, but also from the non-alcoholic beverages we sell to them," Lambert said.

Council member Kip Andrews, who introduced the ordinance, said many community members have expressed strong opinions about the proposal over the past week.

"I never in my eight years in law enforcement, when I was in the courthouse, carried a gun more than I carried in the last week, due to the phone calls and threats made to me," Andrews said at the meeting.

He said the best course of action was to table the measure for now and revisit it later with a solution that works for everyone, although most people disagreed with this approach.

Hammond Police Chief Edwin Bergeron explained that the ordinance wouldn’t significantly change enforcement, as similar laws are already in place.

"An opportunity for somebody to move forward with something that really isn't going to fix anything. There are already laws preventing 18 to 20-year-olds from drinking. Our department strictly enforces those laws, and we issue citations for underage drinking. However, I don't believe this ordinance alone will resolve issues related to event centers or rental halls operating as clubs, selling alcohol, or allowing underage drinking," Bergeron said.

Andrews said he plans to revisit the ordinance and bring it back for a vote after reviewing some modifications with the city attorney.