MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) -It’s been just over a week since one person was killed, and nine others were shot on Dauphin Street just before the city’s New Year’s Eve celebration. This comes roughly a month after four people were shot at Paparazzi just down the street. Saddle Up owner Greg Loughlin says he feels businesses are being affected.
“The numbers are horrible. Who wants to go fight through that mess,” said Greg Loughlin.
Loughlin brought his concerns to the Mobile City Council where he says part of that could be because of some of the crowds in the downtown entertainment district.
“The crowds on Dauphin Street now bring their own alcohol, play their own music, smoke pot, form congested groups of people we now know unfortunately are infiltrated with street gangs,” said Loughlin. “This crowd congregates in such a way that makes it difficult and intimidating for tourists to pass.”
In the last week, Mobile Police have blocked off parking on dauphin from Jackson to conception streets from 11-3 on weekends to cut back on some of the congestion. Loughlin feels the city should also scale back the entertainment district hours to get people off the streets sooner.
“The only thing we can do right now is get control of the streets and that simply means right now for a temporary basis we need to end the drinking at 9:00,” added Loughlin. “We have to get these folks out of the streets and into the clubs where we can wand them for weapons.”
Currently, people can walk around with an alcoholic drink until midnight. District 2 Councilman William Carroll thinks scaling back the entertainment district could do more harm than good.
“Time or actions or times in which we close I think that’s a benefit to our city it drives the entertainment, the industry, it drives so many things that support our businesses downtown,” said Councilman William Carroll.
While no decision is imminent Mayor Sandy Stimpson says he’ll continue to meet with bar owners to try and come up with a solution.
“Everybody’s viewing this thing from some different lens. Everybody that has a suggestion is going to be listened to make sure we have properly vetted this thing to make sure we come out with a good outcome,” said Mayor Sandy Stimpson.
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