Following the city council’s decision to allow nightclubs to remain open for an additional hour over the weekends, one alderman said he is not “playing politics.”
Alderman Sir Jonathan Rucker said he wanted to clarify his decision about the possibility of hiring additional police officers to ensure order with the nightclubs’ operational hours.
Mayor Diane Delaware made the motion to hire four police officers during the last Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting. Her motion followed the board’s decision to allow nightclubs and event centers to remain open until 1 a.m. during the weekend.
Delaware’s motion to hire more police force did not pass among the city council.
“It made it seem like we were not concerned about the safety of the city,” Rucker said, last Thursday. “However, I just want to tell everyone that I am concerned. When the motion was made about hiring the four police officers, my thought was that I am not going to just hire four police officers without knowing their names.”
Rucker said he is concerned about keeping the city safe.
“I am going to send out a strong message,” Rucker said. “If it takes opening up a nightclub until 2 a.m. for me to stay in office, I don’t need to be in this office. It is about the safety of this city. It is about doing what it right for the city. Even though I am a politician, I don’t play the politics.”
Delaware said her desire was to gain approval from the board to begin the hiring process for additional police officers.
“We want to be sure that we have enough officers on the street at one time,” she said. “We are not here to put people in danger. Just make sure we consider the resources required for the action that was made.”
