The Sunnyvale Sun

News

Altercation puts spotlight on safety issues

By JASON GOLDMAN-HALL

In the wake of an Oct. 15 shooting in the Macy's parking lot, the Sunnyvale Downtown Association is talking to its members and the Department of Public Safety to find a way to prevent future problems in the area.

Public safety deputy chief Mark Stivers said the shooting, which left San Jose resident Brian Sabathia in the hospital, took place after a confrontation in The Abyss, formerly known as The Forum. In addition, SDA president Lara Bliesner and several residents attended the Oct. 24 Sunnyvale City Council meeting to ask for a study item on possible ways to prevent problems downtown and lessen the burden on the city's public safety officers.

"I can't afford to have 15 officers from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. down there because I may only have 15 officers on duty that night," said Stivers.

Fifteen is the minimum number patrolling Sunnyvale at night, and at any given time, two to four are near the downtown area.

While much of the attention is focused on The Abyss because of its connection to the shooting, the problems on the street are not the responsibility or fault of any one venue, city leaders said.

But the situation is complicated by the frequent promoter-produced events at that site put on by groups from outside of Sunnyvale without ties to the downtown businesses or community.

Abyss president Emma Nguyen said when she runs her own events there, there are few problems with lines or commotion, because she makes sure to get people in her doors and off the streets. But promoters often have longer lines because they keep guest lists and must check people in at the door as they arrive.

Shaun O'Keeffe, owner of Scruffy Murphy's Irish Pub, said he let promoters use his pub only once before deciding against it, because they were not accountable for their conduct.

"Promoters are promoters; they don't care," O'Keeffe said.

Nguyen said she does not have any outside events similar to the one held the night of the shooting on the calendar. Even though it could hurt her business to lose that draw, she is willing to do it to "stop the agonies" that people are feeling.

Marcus Belardes, general manager of the Firehouse Grill & Brewery, said he hears loud profanity and other questionable language from the venue at night when crowds gather. He said the problem is not that there are people outside, but that they are not controlled enough.

"To me, a long line on the street is a good thing, but it seems like it's getting out of control," Belardes said. "The problem is not with the line but what's going on in the line."

To deal with it, Stivers said DPS officers have met with a new security firm Nguyen is considering hiring to augment her current security personnel to better manage the crowds at night.

The nightclubs that have inhabited the old theater at 146 S. Murphy St. over the years have often been a focal point for concerns. A number of business owners say they've had windows broken, items stolen and other damage caused by people leaving The Abyss or its previous incarnations.

"We've been busy down here for years," said Stivers. "It was The Palace, then it was The Forum, now it's The Abyss--10 years from now it will be something else."

Sunnyvale business owners and public safety officers are not the only ones looking at the problems. According to Stivers, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is also investigating the club to make sure it is meeting the standards of its liquor license, including adequate measures to prevent underage patrons from acquiring alcohol.

If made into a study issue, downtown safety will be discussed and priorities ranked at the Sunnyvale City Council's Nov. 28 public meeting.