OXFORD, Miss. — Aldermen in Oxford are looking to crack down on underage drinking and add security to the square.
This comes just a few months after a shot was fired inside of a performance arts theater, known as The Lyric, during a party.
Sami Thomason works in the square.
She saw the pictures, like everyone else, of the man police say fired shots inside of a party back in April 2018.
No one was shot, but since then some feel there’s been a dark cloud over the establishment that is now spreading to the square.
“My problem is that it seems like it’s really targeting The Lyric after one incident,” Thomason said. “It’s an isolated incident, and it’s not great. But they certainly handled it.”
The ordinance is expected to cut down on underage drinking, and is expected to bring tighter security measures to the square.
However, Thomason says, for her, safety isn’t really an issue, because she already feels safe.
“I think it’s a bit of an overreaction. Obviously, I want the square to be safe, and I don’t want guns to go off in venues. I think that was horrible, but there are other ways to do it than the ordinance they are suggesting.”
If the ordinance passes, venues would be required to install security cameras and ID scanners.
If the cameras break, businesses would have limited time to fix them.
If passed, the ordinance would go into effect in 30 days.