DAVENPORT, Iowa – Davenport’s Mayor Frank Klipsch says the city council will look at ways to cut down on violence in an area that’s become familiar to police. Police report they’ve been called to Shenanigan’s 90 times during 2019.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend police said a fight broke out at Shenanigan’s Irish Pub. Moments later gunshots were hear right outside that sent bullets through the window of Mac’s Tavern.
Bar owners say any customer who walks through the door is a liability, which is a responsibility Sasha and Gary Rowland take seriously at Mac’s Tavern.
“One way or another I have to get you home safe – I take that personally, very personally,” says Gary Rowland said about his customers.
Video of a fight that broke out in Shenanigan’s was shared on social media. The fight broke out around 1 a.m. on Sunday, December 1, while customers at Mac’s viewed it from the window. Police say as the fight was being broken up inside, shots were fired outside, and the bullets wound up inside Mac’s Tavern.
“We took a phone call from her brother around 1 o’clock in the morning, frantic because a bullet had gone through one of the windows in our patio,” Gary recalls.
“That particular location draws a lot of people that are interested in that particular behavior,” said Mayor Frank Klipsch. “Let’s just put it that way.”
Mayor Klipsch says the city has done a lot in the past to control the downtown area on 3rd Street. He says they’ve had an ongoing police presence and suspended Shenanigan’s liquor license.
“We can put a suspension on it, and then it goes to the state or alcohol division,” Mayor Klipsch says. “They then have the option of renewing that or opening it back up again. Or giving it back to them and that’s happened a couple times.”
But Mayor Klipsch says more needs to be done, which will be discussed at the city council meeting Tuesday afternoon.
“This is a neighborhood and we are very very conscious of the fact that we all want to feel safe in this neighborhood,” Mayor Klipsch said.
“We will not pull a plug on this, we will fight through this and we will win,” emphasizes Gary.