A downtown Mobile bar owner is pressing city leaders to reconsider how late people can drink on public streets, arguing the current open container rules are fueling safety problems after a deadly New Year’s Eve shooting.
Greg Loughlin, who owns Saddle Up Saloon near the block where the shooting occurred, asked the Mobile City Council to consider trimming the hours of the open container ordinance from midnight back to 9 p.m.
Owner Describes a Changed Dauphin Street
Loughlin told council members he has watched downtown change over the past nine months, describing crowds that bring their own alcohol, play their own music and form large congested groups. He argued the problem is not primarily a policing issue but one of numbers — people taking advantage of the ability to drink outdoors on the street.
His concerns intensified after police said a man fired into a crowd on New Year’s Eve using a Glock equipped with a switch, a small device that converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic one. Police said the shooting was deadly.
City Officials Split on the Idea
Mayor Sandy Stimpson said every proposal deserves a hearing as the city works through its response.
“We’re going to consider everything,” Stimpson said, adding that people view the problem through different lenses and that each suggestion will be vetted before the city settles on an outcome.
Councilmember William Carroll pushed back against rolling anything back in the entertainment district, whether hours or closing times.
“It’s unfortunate that the incident happened, but we can’t allow our businesses to suffer because of the act of an individual,” Carroll said, calling the district’s flexibility a benefit that drives entertainment and supports downtown businesses.
Public Safety Director Lawrence Battiste said officials would go back to the drawing board and assemble what he called an aggressive plan, noting complaints that conditions downtown have worsened and that traffic flow needs attention.
A separate conversation was already on the calendar: several bar owners and managers planned to meet with the Downtown Mobile Alliance and Police Chief Paul Prine to talk through safety issues.