BAY CITY -- More police officers will be patrolling Bay City’s Midland Street entertainment district starting this weekend. This is after members of the Midland Street Merchants Association met with top level officials in the city about the growing concern of violence along the street on Friday and Saturday nights. Sources tell NBC25 this meeting was prompted after our station broke news of an early Sunday morning brawl nearly two weeks ago.
The cell phone video shot by City Commissioner and Brooklyn Boyz Pizza owner Kevin Novellino set off a firestorm of debate on the Internet. Comments on NBC25 stories for example blame everything from the hip hop and rap music played at the Westown Nightclub where the November 7th brawl started, to people loitering and smoking outside now that state law bans indoor smoking.
City Manager Robert Belleman was in the closed door meeting Thursday morning and said Midland Street business owners will help fund overtime pay for additional officers. He said it costs $250 for two officers to work four hours of overtime.
Meanwhile new regulations currently being drafted will place more responsibilities on bar owners and the crowds they bring in.
“One of the main solutions is that the business owners and bar owners are going to take a more active role in managing their patrons,” Belleman said.
This means bar owners may have to pay fines for excessive police calls to their establishments.
The move towards additional police officers is a reversal from positions held by Midland Street business owners nearly five years ago. City Commissioner Chris Shannon told NBC25 that back then, bar owners said the strong police presence harmed business and made patrons feel like they were being targeted.
