One of the busiest places over the 4th of July holiday weekend will be the Gaslamp Quarter and the surrounding downtown neighborhoods.
Residents and businesses are voicing safety concerns throughout the busy weekend.
“There is definitely a higher rate of things that require a police presence in the city center and being in the city area. It’s definitely a little harder to do business,” said Social Tap General Manager Jake Snyder.
The expected increase in crowd size over the holiday weekend comes just one week after a shooting left two spectators visiting San Diego shot near 5th Avenue and F Street.
The San Diego Police Department arrested 25-year-old Johnza Watson, who is the suspected shooter.
“I think I think people are always going to be confused. I have a dog so I feel fine, but East Village gets a little rough at night,” Sloane Thilloy said.
Some residents note that San Diego remains one of the safest large cities in the country.
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“I feel safe in the whole San Diego area, you know, downtown. Nothing bad has ever happened to me but overall it’s one of the safest cities in the entire United States,” Nick Kiper said.
San Diego Police Department Chief of Police David Nisleit addressed security and staffing concerns.
“You’re going to see the presence of officers. You’re going to see an officer presence in cars and in the Gaslamp, you’re always going to see an officer presence on a bike,” Nisleit said.
San Diego police say two groups of people were fighting downtown when someone in the group pulled out a gun and fired, hitting two innocent bystanders. NBC 7’s Allison Ash has details.