OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) – Major into Memorial Day weekend, downtown Ocean Springs bars and restaurants are gearing up for busy nights ahead. These companies are carrying out so with an further concentrate on maintaining their consumers secure, much less than a month immediately after the mass shooting at The Scratch Kitchen.

“I only assume that we can sustain a culture of security if we make a culture of security,” Kenny Williams stated.

Williams owns and operates Mosaic along with 3 other bars and restaurants in downtown Ocean Springs. He stated making a culture of security begins with generating positive everyone is on the similar web page.

“I assume we will need to collaborate superior as enterprise owners in sharing communication,” stated Williams.

In the final week, Williams gathered with other downtown enterprise owners, such as Bill Yockey from the Rooftop Taco and Tequila Bar. They met with city leaders and brainstormed concepts to avert future violent incidents.

“If we ask somebody to leave our location, we’re going to make positive that our buddies more than at Neon Moon or across the street at Glory Bound are communicated with and they communicate with us,” stated Yockey.

“If we know somebody is not exactly where they’re supposed to be or carrying out a thing they shouldn’t be carrying out, we will need a way to share that communication in two strategies — not just with each and every other, but also with neighborhood police,” Williams stated.

Ideally, the communication would be rapid and simple.

“We’re going to attempt and locate an app we can all go on so we do not have to make 7 or eight telephone calls. You can just go on the app and let everyone know what the trouble is,” Yockey stated.

Also, plans are in the operates to have an elevated police presence downtown with additional lighting on the street.

“We’ve asked to light up the parking lights that are surrounding Government Street,” stated Yockey. “We really feel like a lot of the poor issues that have been taking place have been folks that have been partying in the parking lots and then coming into the bars and restaurants a tiny additional along than they necessary to be.”

In spite of the current act of violence at The Scratch Kitchen, Williams is carrying out anything he can to make positive it will be an isolated incident.

“This is an intensely secure spot, if you take the information more than ten to 20 years this is a definitely secure spot to be and we want to encourage folks to come do enterprise in Ocean Springs,” stated Williams.

Each Williams and Yockey stated they use ID scanners to avert underage folks from coming in. Also, firearms are not permitted inside the companies, safety guards actively appear out for firearms and they take measures to retain guns out.

Click right here to subscribe to WLOX News on YouTube: Maintain up with South Mississippi news, sports, and neighborhood events on our YouTube channel!

Copyright 2023 WLOX. All rights reserved.