One night of violence will not keep me from going to Bricktown. If you accept that fact that downtown is part of the city, one night in 8 years is pretty impressive. The police presence this past weekend also made me feel safe.

I think the curfew is for minors only:

Bricktown violence spurs curfew talk

By Steve Lackmeyer
The Oklahoman

Bricktown merchants emerged from an emergency meeting with Oklahoma City police Monday resolving to get tough on unruly teens and gang members loitering in the district after midnight.

Three shootings were reported by police between midnight and 1 a.m. Sunday, and the two people arrested on assault complaints in connection with the attacks were ages 14 and 17. A man who showed up Sunday morning at OU Medical Center also complained he was assaulted outside the Bricktown IHOP sometime after 2 a.m. Sunday.

Police Maj. Ed Hill, meeting with merchants Monday afternoon, said they cannot begin enforcing curfew on juveniles until 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays (the curfew is midnight on weekdays). But he promised officers will take extra steps to prevent disturbances such as those reported early Sunday.

Mayor Mick Cornett said he has asked city attorneys to look at whether a special earlier curfew can be established for Bricktown.

“It’s still a very family friendly place during the day and early evening,” Cornett said. “Late at night, alcohol becomes a factor, and that’s typical of entertainment districts around the country.”

Police Chief Bill Citty on Monday approved a doubling of overtime already authorized for patrolling Bricktown on weekends, and instructed Hill to ensure “anyone who visits Bricktown (on weekend nights) will quickly see a police officer.”

Merchants praised police for their quick response and said further violence must be prevented.

“We had a great meeting,” said Jim Cowan, chairman of the Bricktown Association. “We understand how important it is to have safety in Bricktown. We spent a little over an hour going over everything we can do to work hand in hand with police to make the streets safe.”

Hill told merchants neither the Bricktown Reggae Festival, which he estimated drew this summer’s largest crowds to the entertainment district, or two new clubs are responsible for the violence. Police say a more likely culprit are the recent closings of two clubs often plagued with gang and youth violence in northeast and northwest Oklahoma City.

Cowan said another busy weekend is expected with Bullnanza at Ford Center, a Yard Dawgs playoff game at the Cox Convention Center and a RedHawks game at the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark.

The troublemakers, Cowan said, arrive about midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and aren’t patronizing restaurants or clubs.

“They’re just standing out on the streets,” Cowan said. “The curfew that our city has will be strongly enforced. There will be a much stronger police presence.”

Dave Lopez, president of Downtown Oklahoma City Inc., said he is surveying other entertainment districts as part of a long-term effort to find more permanent solution.

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My goodness, I was out of town for 10 days and whew! come home to this?

This is so disturbing to me. One of the perks of moving to OK was the fact that I could bring my kids with the family to Bricktown - various sports and concerts etc without worry. I never felt unsafe once in the last few years.

This concerns me greatly and I'm so sad to read all of this.

It's so frustrating that the gang members and other criminal elements win the battle. We all stay home and they control the city.

This is when we need our police presence out in force more than ever, I guess. I don't know the solution.. when this happened in CA, we just stopped going out downtown - again they won.

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" You've Been Thunder Struck ! "

Give it some time, I think it will be cleared up. You really shouldnt have any problem however, espicially earlier in the evening.

Re: Midtowner's comment about the NE side of the city - I lived on the NE side for more than 36 years and I am still frequently found there visiting relatives, maintaining several properties I own and supporting businesses like Tinseltown. I have been all over this city and from what I have personally witnessed, read about and heard on the news, the levels of violent crime and gang activity on the NE side are no greater than other parts of the city. In fact, some areas are much worse. The part of town in the vicinity of Crossroads Mall extending to Shields Blvd is always in the news with shootings and other gang related incidents, but that does not mean the entire south side is a bad place to be. In addition, the NE side features some of the best tourist attractions in OKC - The OKC Zoo, Omniplex, FireFighter's Museum and the National Cowboy and Western Hall of Fame and Museum just to name a few. When negative views are spouted like this, it only serves as a deterent to those who would like to visit the area and support the wonderful things that are going on there. Please consider this when you share your opinions about the city.

I would also like to add that I do support a strong police presence in bricktown and any areas of the city as needed and as a whole, I think they do an outstanding job of protecting our city. I remember there was a period of time that I stopped attending the State Fair due to all of the crime and drunken behavior that went on but the police implemented a strong presence and I truly enjoy going to the fair now and I feel much safer.

free2be...blame a little of that perception on the news channels who lead off almost every night with shootings on the NE side...but you are absolutely right parts of S. OKC are just as bad crime wise

I know where all the police are, they are in front of my kid's school. My boys are on staggered schedules so I get to drive back and forth 8 times a day.. since it's the first few days of school, I always take them - in a few days we carpool or take the bus.. anyway, everyday, all 8 times, I've seen people pulled over getting a speeding tickets in the school zone.. yikes... I'm crawling through there.. this is Edmond police but still, I'm all for safety especially in the Zone but sheesh, the kids aren't even walking, we're all driving them.. I've never seen more ticketing in my life. I'm thinking they could be useful somewhere else, they've made their point.. no one is daring to go over 15 mph.. I say send them to Bricktown for a week.

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" You've Been Thunder Struck ! "

SE Oklahoma City, NE Oklahoma City, and inner SW Oklahoma City, far inner west Oklahoma City (NW 10th and MacArthur, etc.) and the latest "diverse" corridor around Western and Hefner have the worst crime rates. To deny that Northeast Oklahoma City is one dangerous place (especially at night) is denying reality.

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i dont think spyce would be the one with the problem its an upscale club for an older crowd 23 and up... the one with the problems is probably city nights.

"City nights"... ummm either you mean City Walk (which btw has been there for 5 years) or I guess theres a new club in bricktown I dont know about..

A new club has opened in the south part of Oklahoma City CITY NIGHTS. It is located at I 35 and S E 25th, 2616 S Service Road

Maybe it's run by the Bricktown Guest Suites owners in that same area