Ocean Springs business enterprise owners functioning to produce “culture of safety” following mass shooting

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) – Top into Memorial Day weekend, downtown Ocean Springs bars and restaurants are gearing up for busy nights ahead. These corporations are undertaking so with an additional concentrate on maintaining their shoppers protected, significantly less than a month following the mass shooting at The Scratch Kitchen.

“I only feel that we can keep a culture of security if we produce 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 building a culture of security begins with generating certain everyone is on the exact same web page.

“I feel we require to collaborate much better as business enterprise owners in sharing communication,” stated Williams.

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

“If we ask somebody to leave our region, we’re going to make certain that our mates 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 undertaking some thing they shouldn’t be undertaking, we require a way to share that communication in two techniques — not just with every other, but also with regional police,” Williams stated.

Ideally, the communication would be fast and straightforward.

“We’re going to attempt and discover 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 challenge is,” Yockey stated.

Also, plans are in the functions to have an enhanced police presence downtown with far more 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 negative points that have been taking place have been persons that have been partying in the parking lots and then coming into the bars and restaurants a small additional along than they necessary to be.”

Regardless of the current act of violence at The Scratch Kitchen, Williams is undertaking almost everything he can to make certain it will be an isolated incident.

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

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

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