The Santa Fe City Council on Wednesday outlawed carrying an open container of alcohol in a public place not licensed to serve or sell alcohol, such as a park.

City and state laws already banned the drinking of alcohol in unlicensed public places. But Assistant City Attorney Alfred Walker said that to arrest someone, city police had to see someone "placing the beer can or the alcohol container to their lips."

Councilor Patti Bushee said she introduced the amendment due to the increasing numbers of inebriated people in the Santa Fe Railyard Park as well as other public spaces.

She said the change is a "short-term solution," but would give the police more tools to enforce laws against public intoxication.

Five members of the public spoke in favor of the proposal.

Adam Gallegos, president of the Santa Fe Police Officers Association, said it is "astounding" how much time the police and firefighters spend on alcohol-related issues.

Not only was an inebriated pedestrian killed Friday while trying to cross Cerrillos Road, Gallegos said, but his own son struck and killed a drunken pedestrian over the weekend in Las Cruces.

Richard Czoski, executive director of the Santa Fe Railyard Community Corp., said the open-container ban should make Santa Fe's public spaces safer.

Maria Bautista called the change a "step forward" in combating New Mexico's "epidemic" of alcohol abuse and suggested the council begin rejecting waivers to serve alcohol at fundraisers and other events.

Rick Martinez said he's noticed an upswing in public drunkenness at the Railyard, city parks and even on newly paved portions of the Santa Fe River Trail.

The eight councilors unanimously approved the change.

Councilor Rebecca Wurzburger said that, as the daughter of an alcoholic father, she knows alcohol abuse is a chronic problem. When asked, drinkers will put alcohol away but begin drinking again later, she said.

Contact Tom Sharpe at 986-3080 or tsharpe@sfnewmexican.com.