Several D.C. council members have proposed a new bill allowing restaurants, bars, and hotels to go cashless in an effort to prevent robberies.

The new bill, called the Entertainment Establishment Employee Safety Amendment Act of 2024, would allow many D.C. businesses that serve alcohol to go cashless.

Council member Christina Henderson shared, “Retailers in the District have unfortunately been targets of robberies and theft, and we have seen many permanently close due to the irrecoverable losses.”

“Businesses that are cashless are not at risk of robbery in the same way as businesses with cash on hand,” added Henderson.

Washington, DC, city council member suggests businesses go cashless to combat crime: A Washington, D.C., councilmember introduced a bill Tuesday to allow retail shops to go cashless to combat ongoing robberies and burglaries in the city. https://t.co/9C0DIxhgrn pic.twitter.com/ZhnR9l1PSf

— Janie Johnson – America is Exceptional (@jjauthor) September 19, 2024

Here’s what WTOP reported:

Bars and nightclubs have been the target of armed robberies and burglaries in the District. This week, several D.C. Council members are hoping that removing cash from the equation will deter criminals.

A new bill, the Entertainment Establishment Employee Safety Amendment Act of 2024, would allow select D.C. businesses that serve alcohol, such as restaurants, hotels, bars, nightclubs and entertainment venues to go cashless.

“Retailers in the District have unfortunately been targets of robberies and theft, and we have seen many permanently close due to the irrecoverable losses,” said Council member Christina Henderson in a statement.

This would be an exemption from a previous bill passed four years ago that would make it illegal for any business to stop taking cash, saying it’s a form of discrimination. That law is set to go into effect next year.

“The Cashless Retailers Prohibition Act of 2019 was passed to provide unbanked customers with the option to always use cash. However, this bill no longer fully addresses the dynamic of the retail landscape in DC, including the proliferation of cash payment services such as Venmo, PayPal and CashApp,” Henderson wrote in a statement.

DC council members want businesses to ditch cash so they don’t get robbed as often https://t.co/uH17IyWSVE

— Pamela P Kramer (@PpkramerPamela) September 19, 2024

Here’s what The Daily Caller reported:

A Washington, D.C., lawmaker unveiled legislation Monday aiming to shield small businesses from rampant theft.

D.C. Councilwoman Christina Henderson introduced the bill, which would exempt Class C and D alcohol license holders from having to accept cash at their stores in a bid to reduce robberies. Property crime has exploded in D.C. in recent years, with robberies up 67% from 2022 to 2023, burglaries up 4% and other thefts up 23% over the same time frame, according to city data.

“Many businesses, particularly those that sell alcohol, are concerned for their employees’ safety and have shared multiple stories about successful and attempted robberies and burglaries,” Henderson said in a statement announcing the legislation. “Businesses that are cashless are not at risk of robbery in the same way as businesses with cash on hand.”

Class C licenses are held by “restaurants, hotels, taverns, nightclubs, and other entertainment venues” and class D licenses cover the same venues but restrict the sale of liquor, according to the bill. In 2020, D.C. passed a law that went into effect in 2023 prohibiting businesses from not accepting cash, with D.C. City Council Chairman Phil Mendelson saying the bill was about “equity” according to the Washingtonian.

Arrests in D.C. have plummeted, with robbery arrests down 40% from 2019 to 2023 and theft arrests down 49%, according to a Manhattan Institute study in August. Meanwhile, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is struggling to maintain its manpower, with the number of sworn officers declining to a half-century low, according to the study.