The City of Fort Worth is boosting police presence in the West Seventh entertainment district and adding new restrictions to limit concentrations of bars and clubs in the wake of the deadly shooting of a TCU student.

City leaders unveiled several new initiatives Tuesday night, including the creation of a West Seventh ambassador program like in downtown, more street lights, safety training for bar staff and using off-duty police officers to wand patrons for firearms.

In addition, the City Council adopted new zoning rules that will require special approval before new bars or clubs open in certain districts, including West Seventh but also other popular destinations in other neighborhoods. These new zoning rules apply to areas zoned “high intensity mixed-use.”

Any new bars or clubs larger than 2,000 square feet — roughly half the size of a basketball court — will have to get a special zoning permit before opening in these districts.

The rules will not affect current bar and club owners, but will impact anyone trying to open a new establishment or expand an existing one.

The new initiatives come less than two weeks after TCU junior Wes Smith was shot to death on Bledsoe Street outside a bar shortly after 1 a.m. on Sept. 1. Police arrested 21-year-old Matthew Purdy, who they say admitted to shooting Smith without providing any clear reason why.

Police have sought to crack down before on crime in the West Seventh area, which is popular among college students. Last fall, the city banned open containers of alcohol in public areas, which aims to limit underage drinking and large crowds in the street.

City officials say they’ve developed these new initiatives after meeting with business leaders representing West Seventh, the Stockyards, downtown and Near Southside.

The city intends to create a bar safety certification program that includes “regular safety training for bar owners, managers, and employees.”

Entertainment districts will see more off-duty police officers at bars during peak hours who screen patrons for guns, especially at larger establishments.

Bars will see more frequent inspections from fire and code compliance officers, and visitors will see “ambassadors” like those in yellow vests in downtown who keep their eyes on what’s happening in busy areas.

And the city will hire a consultant to assess Fort Worth’s entertainment districts for ways to make them safer, “aligning with best practices in entertainment districts across the country.”

At a City Council meeting Tuesday, a representative of Crockett Row praised the initiatives.

“The major owners in the area are all aligned in taking more responsibility and accountability for some of the things that are happening in the areas when people leave at the end of the night,” said Moody Younger, a managing partner with Younger Partners, which owns the multiple blocks of apartments and businesses.

The change won’t be a magic fix to the area’s issues of crime, but it is a step in the right direction, said council member Elizabeth Beck, who’s District 9 includes West Seventh.

Beck acknowledged the West Seventh district has gotten a lot of attention following Smith’s killing, but added there’s a lot of good development coming to improve the area.

She thanked Younger and the West Seventh business community for working with the city on the improvements.

“West Seventh is a large, successful entertainment district, and it is vitally important that we are doing all we can to ensure visitors to the area can feel safe there and in all entertainment districts across the city,” Mayor Mattie Parker said in the press release.

She added the collaboration she’s seen among business owners, the city and the Fort Worth Police Department gives her confidence the area can make significant improvements.