BAY CITY, MI -- A brawl, gunshots and knives pulled on Midland Street while 250 milled about outside Saturday night have neighbors and city officials seeking solutions to what has become a sometimes violent night on the town this year.
“It’s getting too close to home, and the neighbor’s don’t like it. It’s scary, it’s absolutely scary,” said Marie Kurzer, former 7th Ward City Commissioner and area resident.
Shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, police were called to disperse a large crowd in a fight involving several people that began inside Lucky’s Pub & Grill. Approximately 250 people were in the area and officers initially were unable to disperse the crowd due to its size and saw multiple, brief fights. Officers and residents nearby also reported hearing multiple gunshots outside around the same time, according to police.
Assistance was requested from additional Bay County law enforcement agencies. A short time later, gunshots were heard by officers on three separate occasions.
Officers on the scene again requested additional assistance, with Bay County Central Dispatch requesting assistance from Saginaw County. Several additional officers responded to the scene, police said.
Two people were arrested early Sunday morning, police said.
Bay City Commissioner Ed Clements of Ward 8, which runs through Midland Street, said, “I want to thank law enforcement for doing an excellent job under tough conditions this past weekend.”
Multiple residents in the surrounding neighborhoods who were interviewed by The Bay City Times after the incident but declined to give their names also reported hearing tapping on their windows recently and noted an uptick in violent incidents.
One resident who wishes to remain anonymous said that Bay City was the “birthplace of the tough man,” where fist-fights used to be common to sort problems out, often followed by the sharing of a beer -- but not guns.
Looking back throughout the summer, officers were also dispatched to the 600 block of East Midland Street shortly before 2:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 16 for a report of a large fight. Officers arrived and heard gunshots being fired -- one man was injured.
A double stabbing took place earlier in July. Police reports contained in court records indicate that about 2:30 a.m. on Monday, July 20, officers responded to 605 E. Midland St. for a stabbing.
Records obtained from Bay County Central Dispatch indicate that between June 8 — the day bars and restaurants could reopen for dine-in service following Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s shelter-at-home order — and Aug. 19, there have been 136 calls for service between the 400 and 900 blocks of East Midland Street and the surrounding blocks. Comparison of data from previous years shows that Central Dispatch received 109 calls for service in 2019 and 78 in 2018 in the same date range and geographic area.
Residents are left hoping that a solution can be found, with Kurzer saying that a good, long look is needed at the data and at what times incidents are occurring.
“My opinion of Midland Street is I totally support that they need to have their business, however, they should be able to take a look at what’s been going on,” Kurzer said.
A special event permit for the Midland Street Social District is in place that allows use of the 500 and 600 blocks of Midland Street, and Linn Street between Midland Street and Vermont Street, for outdoor events and includes permission for a stage to be set up. While the permit was to expire on Sept. 7, it was renewed to last until Oct. 3.
Residents also expressed concerns at recent legislation that could keep bars open even later into the morning. Lawmakers voted 77-27 to approve House Bill 4213, which would let bars and restaurants with on-premises liquor licenses stay open until 4 a.m. if their local government body votes to allow late-night liquor sales.
“I think it’s ridiculous because if we have problems at 2 o’clock in the morning, I can’t imagine it being until 4 o’clock," said Kurzer.
What’s next?
Now it’s back to the drawing board as the local leaders and Midland Street business owners work together to develop the next steps.
Clements explained that all involved parties are working on developing a plan, with safety at the forefront.
“We are working diligently on plans for Midland Street entertainment district," Clements said. “We are making sure we explore all avenues before coming to conclusions. Our priority is safety of residents, neighborhoods and visitors.”
An initial plan was already in place before the recent incident. During the Monday, Aug.17 regular Bay City Commission meeting, Midland Street business owner Jay Samborn informed the commission that he and other business owners developed a strategy and plan going forward in response to the Sunday, Aug. 16 incident. The plan at the time involved more bouncers and security as well as heightened awareness for the Midland Street merchants as a cooperative group.
Bay City officials agreed on Aug. 17 to increase the police presence in the area by making use of officers on overtime, with the plan to apply for cost reimbursement through funding sources such as special COVID-19 grants through FEMA or the Department of Justice, since Public Safety Director Mike Cecchini previously said that he believed that the uptick in violence could be related to the pandemic.
Clements explained that new talks have started this week to determine what will happen next.
“There have been collaborative discussions with Midland Street business owners," Clements said. "There will be definitive actions this week. I have received a lot of excellent input from residents that is going into our decisions.”
Commissioner Clements emphasized that the violence is not indicative of the street itself, citing local businesses that dot the street - even including his dinner plans as proof.
“I am going to Midland St. right now for dinner," Clements said Monday. “Several outstanding restaurants there; incidents on Midland Street are not representative of Midland Street or Bay City. I am confident that we will make the corrections and adjustments needed to ensure a high quality of life for all.”
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