Neighborhood lockdowns and forced closures of liquor stores and bars were among the steps considered -- then quickly rejected -- to cut Baltimore's spiraling murder rate.

The Baltimore Sun reported May 17 that a bill before the Baltimore City Council would have allowed certain neighborhoods to be declared emergency areas, prompting an array of measures including increased police presence, shuttering of alcohol outlets, and limits on the number of people allowed on city streets for a period of up to two weeks.

"Desperate measures are needed when we're in desperate situations," said bill sponsor Robert W. Curran, the vice president of the City Council. "What I'm trying to do is give the mayor additional tools."

But the Sun reported on May 22 that the full council resoundingly rejected the proposal, forcing Curran to withdraw the measure before a vote could take place.

"I believe that the sponsor is well-intentioned, but I think it's a bad idea and I think it's a bad message to send," said councilman James B. Kraft. "I'm very concerned about the establishment of martial law in Baltimore."

Mayor Shiela Dixon has sought to shift the city away from zero-tolerance policies and toward rehabilitation programs. The bill is similar to a law recently adopted in Philadelphia, which actually goes a step further in allowing the mayor to impose a curfew on troubled communities.