A series of recent incidents in and around the Mayslack’s Bar and Grill parking lot led to a public meeting on September 26, with City Council Member Michael Rainville and 2nd Precinct Minneapolis Police Department Lieutenant Ryan Johnson present, along with Amy Lingo, the City’s Manager for Licenses and Consumer Services.
The audience, mostly Sheridan Neighborhood residents, brought their concerns about bar patrons (and non-patrons) drinking in their parked cars after closing times as well as episodes of fighting and property damage. Also present at the gathering were the owners of Mayslack’s, the owner of the Knight Cap Bar and Lounge and the manager of the Spring Street Tavern. According to Dean Jacklitch, owner of Mayslack’s since 2006, the people causing problems are often hanging out in his bar’s parking lot and are not inside as paying customers. When these people are asked to leave the premises, they often refuse. When they do depart, they will often head to a nearby Northeast bar and cause the same types of incidents. All three establishments have experienced similar incidents and expressed their concern.
Ward 3 City Council Member Michael Rainville addresses Sheridan neighborhood residents at Rogue Buddha Gallery on September 26 about recent incidents at Mayslack’s Bar and Grill. (Mark Peterson)
Rainville moderated the meeting, which was held at the Rogue Buddha Gallery on 13th Avenue NE, said the problems at Mayslack’s “are affecting your quality of life. There was a big fight several Thursdays ago in the bar’s parking lot. After the police were called, it took about 45 minutes to disperse the crowd, many of whom moved on to the 1029 Bar and the Spring Street Tavern and raised hell down there.” He asked for ways to mitigate the problem, stressing the need to call 911 at the start of any trouble.
Johnson said, “If you see what you believe to be an unruly group of people, which we’re seeing more and more, unfortunately, especially at bar close, call 911 anytime. The behavior can include lots of people getting out into intersections, obstructing traffic, and often enough, these roving fights. We’ll get there as soon as we can.” He noted that bar
closing times — between 1 and 2 a.m. (and later) — are busy times for the police, and a certain amount of prioritizing is necessary.
An audience member said he would like to see commitments from both the bar owners and the police. Suggestions for the bar owners included more and brighter lighting and additional private security in the parking lots. He asked the police for more enforcement of parking rules on Fourth Street, which he said appear unenforced after 8 p.m. He said many people are drinking in their cars on the street. When homeowners call, “Nothing seems to happen.”
Other audience members noted both noise and trash issues, citing late-night motorcycle traffic and next-morning trash along Fourth Street, including vape pipes, liquor containers and broken glass. Several people mentioned a need for quick cleanups. Jacklitch acknowledged such cleanups were the bar’s responsibility if the trash was within 100 feet of the building’s entrance. He said “maintenance is continuous.
“Every morning we’re out there, cleaning stuff up. A big part of the problem is that I would love to be able to trespass. The cops never want to trespass in my parking lot and I’m not letting these people in my bar. So what’s their alternative? They’re either in the lot or on the street.”
Johnson said that the police get emails from residents who see people sizing up cars and checking door handles, and see fights, and wonder where the police are. Johnson encouraged residents to call 911 and report what they’re seeing so the police have an opportunity to respond. He added, “We can at least get over there and provide some extra controls as such.”
Jacklitch said that as a business owner, he knows it’s his responsibility to trespass people on his property. Johnson agreed, saying, “The police cannot trespass somebody from a private business. What happens is the business owner or an agent of that business, or a bouncer, is the person who actually trespasses somebody from a private business. The police cannot go and pick out someone themselves. What usually happens is, there’s criminal activity within that private business. Then an owner or agent calls the police, who go there and confirm that criminal activity happened. At that point the owner says, ‘I want this person trespassed from my business because of the following circumstances,’ and the police will then issue that person a trespass order.”
Sheridan Neighborhood Organization’s president Rose Hellat said her group would love to see more people join their safety walks. ”The only way these walks are successful is if people show up and walk with us. We want (the) Mayslack’s block to be safe. It’s been proven in cities across the United States that the more people who are out on the block, the more crimes are deterred. These walks helped reduce crime back in the ‘90s, which is why we started them again.”
Rainville said in closing, “What I will commit to is pulling together the Mayslack’s ownership and security, and sit down with Amy and the police department, specifically our Crime Prevention Specialist Teila Zoller, hoping MPD might come up with some solutions that the bar can live with.”
He said he would also commit to getting parking enforced on Fourth Street, acknowledging that it might cause problems for parking for guests and residents, but said he was willing to get traffic enforcement started and see what happens.
He raised a concern about ticketing and towing in that neighborhood, which might require police protection for the tow company employees. He said he would speak with 2nd Precinct Inspector Torborg about that but added that he (Rainville) “has some experience with temporary solutions to just calm things down and then see how things go.”