Downtown Tucson businesses welcome patrons back for first nightlife rush since mass shooting

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - Downtown Tucson businesses welcomed back patrons for their first peak nightlife rush since a mass shooting last weekend injured nine people on Congress Street.

Officials with the Downtown Tucson Partnership said their goal for Friday night was to restore confidence among patrons. Crystal Moore, president and CEO of the Downtown Tucson Partnership, said the organization’s mission remains unchanged in the week following the shooting.

“Our mission doesn’t change. We’re still here to keep downtown clean and safe and provide an atmosphere for people to enjoy,” Moore said.

Moore said some immediate changes to the security downtown included additional officers patrolling the area, and she says more overtime has been approved for security.

“They do have a couple squads that are increasing in numbers this weekend, just as an extra layer of presence and reassurance,” Moore said.

Moore said the positioning of officers is a key part of the strategy.

“The show of force is a deterrent. And we also know that deployment from the RTC is almost the center of that entertainment district, allowing those officers to deploy very efficiently in any direction,” Moore said.

Moore said the Downtown Tucson Partnership released a statement Monday outlining continued safety work, which includes exploring more lighting, visibility and camera infrastructure possibilities, as well as continuing their Tucson Together program, which involves patron ID scans, work she says started long before this last week.

“We’re constantly evaluating how those teams can be deployed to be most effective,” Moore said.

Moore also said the business community has rallied in the aftermath of the incident.

“Through this crisis, our merchants have really stepped up and supported our ambassadors in ways that I just didn’t think people would,” Moore said.

Robert Mathis, general manager of Chela’s Latin Cuisine, said communication among business owners has been central to the response.

“When anything like this happens, the biggest thing is communication. We all talk to each other, we all make sure everybody knows what’s going on,” Mathis said.

Some residents said safety concerns have given them pause, but have not kept them away.

“I do think twice about going out, but here I am. You can’t live your life in fear, you know,” Shanise Gonzalez said.

A big part of that is the downtown business community coming together to create that welcoming environment. A point of emphasis for the first weekend rush since the mass shooting.

“We all have to work together because we all realize no matter what brings them down, we are all going to get a piece of the pie, so to speak,” Mathis said.

The Tucson Police Department issued a statement regarding its presence this weekend: “The Tucson Police Department will have officers assigned throughout the downtown area as part of our scheduled operations. We look forward to continuing to work alongside our downtown community partners and businesses to help provide a safe and welcoming environment for everyone visiting and enjoying the area.”

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