After the New Year’s Eve shooting, the business owner thought: Should China Mobile close the entertainment area at 9 pm?

Entertainment districts in cities across Alabama allow patrons to roam the streets with a glass of wine in hand.

But at least one business owner is wondering if Mobile should scale back its downtown area after a chaotic New Year’s Eve shooting in downtown Mobile that left one dead and seven wounded.

related information:

Saddle Up Saloon owner Greg Loughlin said he would ask the council to consider shortening hours in the city’s entertainment precinct and closing open drinks by 9pm. The entertainment district currently allows visitors in downtown Mobile to consume alcoholic beverages under the age of 16. oz plastic cups outdoors until midnight.

“It’s designed for people in the entertainment district to have a drink and walk from one place to another, but that’s not really the case,” said Loughlin, whose business is located a short distance from the 200 Dauphin Street location. Walk to where the shooting took place.

He said the area attracted rowdy crowds late at night.

“I’m not saying everyone is in a street gang, but there are some people (walking around downtown) in uniform, which is not attractive,” he said. “It’s scary.”

change business hours

Loughlin plans to address the Mobile City Council at this morning’s meeting to discuss his concerns about the aftermath of the shooting. His comments are likely to spark some discussion that hasn’t happened since the shooting. After the council held a closed executive meeting with the administration of Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson at last week’s meeting, issued a statement on the shooting But Council members made no public remarks during the meeting.

“Nobody wanted to say anything,” Loughlin said. “I tried to talk to them on the sidelines, but couldn’t meet with anyone. So, I put myself on the list to speak publicly.”

Carol Hunter, spokeswoman for the Downtown Mobile Alliance, said Laughlin was the only downtown business owner to express an interest in shortening hours in the entertainment district.

But she said the issue had “come up” and other inner-city business owners were likely to offer more support, even if others disagreed.

“I would expect some resistance from other venues that want to be able to let their customers leave with a drink between 9pm (and midnight),” Hunt said. “They cut it off three hours early.”

Stimpson spokesman Jason Johnson said changing the entertainment district’s hours of operation “is not something we intend to do at this time.”

The previous time has been turned backwards due to public safety concerns. In 2016, amidst a spate of outdoor block parties and violent clashes, The council postponed the closure of the area from 2am to midnight.

The original entertainment area business hours are in each district Created in 2013.

Hunt said she thought it would be helpful to analyze the public safety measures the Mobile Police Service is taking to see if they are having an impact before the council takes any action on the entertainment precinct or anything else related to city center security. .

police presence

Police Chief Paul Prine has said in recent weeks that his agency will release statistics showing that crime-fighting efforts are still working despite an increase in homicides since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Loughlin said he also plans to ask Mobile Police if there are enough officers to work in downtown Mobile. He said his concerns were more administrative than specific to law enforcement.

“It’s a committee issue that needs to be discussed about the budget,” Laughlin said.

Prine and others said there was a heavy police presence on New Year’s Eve. Longtime Pat’s Downtown owner Mike Piercy, who was standing on the sidewalk outside his business when the shooting occurred, said numerous police officers scrambled to respond to the shooting, which left one dead and seven wounded.

Prine said his agency will be “going all out” during the carnival, which begins on Feb. 3 with the Conde Cavaliers parade, followed by a concert by Nelly at Carnival Park.

“We’re anticipating that this year we’re going to go all out,” said Plaine, who called the New Year’s Eve shooting an “isolated incident.” He also said last year’s carnival was a “success” and his agency would employ similar tactics to keep the event safe.

A free Nelly concert presented by Reese’s Senior Bowl was scheduled to take place in Cathedral Square, a few hundred feet from the Dauphin Street shooting.

concert scene

But Prine and others said the shooting had nothing to do with the decision to relocate the concert. Carnival Park is much bigger and more spacious, he said, where people can gather for concerts.

“My understanding is that it was moved because (Carnival Park) was a bigger venue,” Prine said. “It’s probably a smart decision.”

Senior Bowl spokeswoman Molly Middleton said discussions about relocating to Mardi Gras Park took place in early December or weeks before the New Year’s Eve shooting.

She said the Senior Bowl is committed to ensuring a “fun, safe and exciting night” ahead of the annual college football All-Star game on Feb. 4 at University of South Alabama’s Hancock-Whitney Stadium.

Prine said there will be a heavy police response at Mardi Gras Park. No metal detectors will be installed in the park itself, he said.

“It’s a little difficult to do a security entry at Mardi Gras Park where there are entrances and exits,” Prine said. “We’re going to have a lot of first responders out there, and that’s enough to say that people feel safe knowing they can get there. We don’t want bad people with nefarious intentions creating problems.”

Prine encouraged anyone who saw something amiss to contact the officers on the scene.

“The community is our ears and eyes when they’re in these venues,” Prine said. “Sometimes, bad guys like to stay away from law enforcement.”