The latest public uproar regarding The Block, downtown Baltimore’s long-standing yet always controversial adult entertainment district, was triggered by Senate President Bill Ferguson’s introduction last month of state legislation setting a 10 p.m. curfew for the area. Club owners immediately observed that such a policy would likely put them out of business — given their customer base skews heavily to the late-night crowd — and so, they’ve understandably objected. Yet mixed in with the anger and uncertainty has been a curious mix of politics and conspiracy theories, including claims that it’s all part of a master plan to seize real estate.

Here’s a more conventional, reality-based interpretation of recent events: The Block is a drain on police resources at a time when the city needs all it can muster to address its perilously high homicide rate, and it’s time businesses on The Block pitched in.

The answer is not a curfew. Nor is it to ignore the shootings, assaults or robberies that take place in the vicinity of Club Pussycat and similar haunts. The answer is to provide an adequate police presence and to expect those profiting from Block enterprises to help pay to deter crime. And so what Senator Ferguson needs to pursue is not a mandatory 10 p.m. closing time, but a special taxing district where 100% of the proceeds would go to city police officers (or public safety resources such as additional security cameras perhaps) and be 100% dedicated to keeping the area safe and secure.

This is not a new concept. Baltimore’s Downtown Partnership already provides services to dozens of blocks of downtown businesses (including The Block, incidentally) financed through a property tax surcharge collected just from those businesses. There are other examples of special benefits districts, too, including Charles Village and Midtown. And it isn’t just about police: City parks are often underwritten this way, as well. The concept works. And not just in Baltimore.

Last month, Towson University announced it is providing a direct payment to the Baltimore County Police Department to fund two additional overnight patrols in downtown Towson. The grant money is an informal way of accomplishing exactly what a special benefits district could for The Block. And what motivated Towson University to voluntarily go this route is very much along the lines of what should be motivating Block attorney Thiru Vignarajah’s clients — a concern about escalating crime. In the case of Towson, it’s involved shootings, including the off-campus death of a student on Jan. 11. School officials correctly saw a win-win opportunity to make their students safer without having to draw public safety resources from Randallstown or Perry Hall or Middle River or other parts of Baltimore County.

There are always those who will see this as a penance, of course. We are all taxpayers, they will say, and should be receiving adequate services without getting an additional bill. But that’s merely the way to ensure that other neighborhoods (usually those incapable of providing additional resources) are underserved, as limited manpower is stretched too thin. Moving the Central District Police Station to Calvert Street has also substantially changed the neighborhood’s circumstances.

Not every city resident would be happy to see this problem solved through such a compromise, of course. Pole dancing and peep shows are hardly a source of pride in the community, and one must guard against other, more criminal activities that might seek a foothold there. But Baltimoreans should also recognize that adult entertainment has deep roots in this city from the days of burlesque shows and Blaze Starr. The internet may yet drive it all away, but until that day comes, these are small businesses that should be provided the opportunity to run clean, safe enterprises if that is their intent. Creating a taxing district to pay for a necessary police presence would seem the best compromise available, a win-win for both public safety and for The Block’s owners and employees.