Peace on the downtown streets has been prompted by a heightened
awareness of alcohol-related problems, brought to the surface by
residents concerned that intoxicated behavior could escalate.
Peace on the downtown streets has been prompted by a heightened awareness of alcohol-related problems, brought to the surface by residents concerned that intoxicated behavior could escalate.
That’s what city council members, city staff, representatives of downtown commercial interests, their patrons and residents concluded at a workshop at City Hall Wednesday.
Since two violent incidents that happened in May – both during or shortly after special events in downtown Morgan Hill – police began regular foot patrols of the area.
Plus, starting in July the city has implemented more conditions for permitting similar special events, including requiring sponsors to submit details of their plans to employ private security, and “more rigorous” training for volunteers who serve alcohol and check IDs at the events, according to city manager Ed Tewes.
And the owners of establishments that serve alcohol on site have taken it upon themselves to be more vigilant in controlling the vibe and the customers inside their businesses.
These factors have combined to create a quiet summer since the May incidents – a stabbing and a shooting – including an incident-free Taste of Morgan Hill last weekend, city staff and members of the public said.
The M & H Tavern, one of two downtown bars cited by attendees at previous meetings as a source for late-night downtown trouble, has taken a number of steps to control its crowd, according to owner Susan Hall.
Hall said that she cleans the parking area to the rear of the building on the east side of Monterey Road, she and her staff keep a daily journal of their patrons’ behavior, and she has ordered flood lights to install outside the property to keep the area safer.
“I think we pay attention, and I think we’ve done a pretty good job,” Hall said, adding that foot patrols by Morgan Hill Police, who stop at the bar on Friday and Saturday nights to check on the crowd, have been helpful.
Those foot patrols began every weekend in June, and since July 4 police have only responded to two incidents involving intoxicated and potentially harmful incidents – one in which a man shot a round from a handgun to the floor of Sinaloa’s restaurant, and one in which another man was belligerent late at night at Fuzia restaurant, according to Cmdr. Joe Sampson.
The willingness of downtown businesses to collaborate with police, and law enforcement’s increasing communication with the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control have also contributed to a more peaceful summer downtown, Sampson added.
The issue of late-night alcohol-related violence, vandalism and other nuisances was brought to a head earlier this year when downtown residents suggested the council adopt a “downtown alcohol policy” that would use zoning to prohibit standalone bars, and require establishments that serve alcohol to also serve food.
That policy was discussed further at Wednesday’s workshop, which was scheduled in July after the foot patrols, cooperation among the city and businesses and new special event requirements could take effect. Council members Wednesday said such a policy was not necessary due to the heightened awareness influenced by the residents’ concerns.
“We can’t just assume we’re going to stay on this right path,” Councilman Larry Carr cautioned. “We have to stay on it, and we have to do it all together. We all have high expectations for our downtown, and we should have very high standards for downtown.”
