Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - As efforts continue to make the Chippewa Entertainment District safer and thrive even more, several suggestions have been brought up. One business owner says some ideas are tougher to implement than others.
Conor Hawkins of The Banshee says he's heard of ideas such as bars closing at 2 a.m. or being a strictly 21 and over area. "I think that some of the night clubs that don't really bother me that they bring younger people out there," says Hawkins. There's one thing he wants to see: an improved police presence. "The loitering, people walking around with open containers and just trying to keep the area safe and more welcoming for people that are coming that don't want to come back into the city, and maybe we can get those people back in," says Hawkins.
Hawkins says loitering has been his biggest concern. "They're just coming down because there's people downtown and they would smoke and drink on the street corners, and have no intention of going to any clubs, and they harass people and start fights and everything else. So that's what I would like to maybe see the Buffalo Police Department giving out open container tickets, asking people to move on, or loitering, that kind of stuff," says Hawkins.
Hawkins says some ideas are tougher to implement, including closing time. "We close before 2 a.m. and that's just our choice, because we're not really much of a nightclub here at the Irish Pub. I guess everybody has the right to choose, but some people want to try and push that issue of closing early, that will be a hard fix. Some people want to close the area off to just 21 and over. That will also be a hard fix," says Hawkins. He says the easy fix is just a better police presence.
"Some nights you feel like there's not enough police. Some people say there's some nights that we feel like maybe there's a bit too much police and there's sirens going on, and then we have hotels downtown and people coming in from out of town. It's a bad look for the City of Buffalo," notes Hawkins.
Hawkins hopes to bring people to downtown and stay after sporting events and concerts.
