One of the busiest places over the 4th of July holiday weekend will be the Gaslamp Quarter and surrounding downtown neighborhoods.
Residents and businesses are voicing safety concerns throughout the busy weekend.
“There’s definitely an increased rate of things that require a police presence in downtown and being in the downtown area. It’s definitely a little harder to do business,” Social Tap's General Manager Jake Snyder said.
The expected increased crowd size over the holiday weekend comes only one week after a shooting left two bystanders who were visiting San Diego shot near 5th Avenue and F Street.
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The San Diego Police Department arrested 25-year-old Johnza Watson who is the suspected shooter.
“I mean I think people are just always gonna be really messed up. I have a dog so I feel fine, but the East Village gets a little sketchy at night,” Sloane Thilloy said.
Some residents point out that San Diego remains one of the safest big cities in the country.
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“I feel safe in the entire area of San Diego, you know, downtown. Nothing bad has ever happened to me but in general it’s one of the safest cities in the entire United States,” Nick Kiper said.
San Diego Police Department's Chief of Police David Nisleit addressed safety and staffing concerns.
“You are gonna see a presence of officers. You’re gonna see a presence of officers in cars and in the Gaslamp, you are gonna always see a presence of officers on bike,” Nisleit said.
