Does the City of Buffalo Have Double Standards for What Bars Are Closed After Violence? [Opinion]
During her Talk @ 2 on Friday, Yasmin Young, asked the question "do you believe bars and clubs in Buffalo discriminate?" I want to take that question a step further and ask, does the City of Buffalo have double standards on what bars are closed after a violent event?
Now you may wonder, what possibly could bring me to ask that question? In the news recently there have been a couple of examples of violence at local bars, and I'm just curious as to how things are handled. Here are two examples of recent bar/restaurant violence:
In one situation, a gunmen entered the establishment, killed an employee and injured a patron. A suspect, who has been reported to be a known gang member has been arrested with charges pending. As of yesterday the bar/restaurant remains open for business.
In another situation just a few weeks later, towards the end of the night at a different establishment, there was a fight and shooting a block away from the bar. No one was shot, but one young man went to the hospital with injuries potentially related to the fight. One person was arrested but was charged with disorderly conduct. No suspect has been identified by the Buffalo Police. This establishment was closed by the city on June 22nd.
Now the City of Buffalo Charter allows the Mayor and/or Police Commissioner to close any business in the city where the safety of the public maybe at risk. I just wonder what process is followed to determine what exactly is a public safety risk is? Apparently a fight a block away from a bar is more dangerous to the public than being killed in another...
Or could there be another reason?