INDIANAPOLIS — The heart of downtown Indy’s nightlife scene is just south of Monument Circle.
On weekends, the Wholesale District is home to bumping clubs with lines wrapped around the corner.
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“Fridays and weekends, they will close down this road, that way, no cars can pass by, and then just patrol around the area, "The Old Spaghetti Factory employee Rosario Hernandez said. “For the most part, it's safe, up until we hit around midnight. That’s when things start getting a little crazy. Just a lot of people walking and the crowds. You can hear arguments breaking out.”
The area can be prone to violence.
This past September, IMPD says a security guard at The Patron Saint shot two women after they left the establishment.
The next week, The Patron Saint served alcohol to an underage individual, after not checking her ID.
“We want people to come downtown and enjoy the bars, enjoy the restaurants, enjoy all that downtown has to offer. We want people to do it in a safe way. We want businesses, bars to manage their facilities in a safe way. This is an example of one that wasn’t," IMPD Downtown District Commander Shane Foley said.
The Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC) reached an agreement with The Patron Saint to settle the violations.
Corrective actions include:
- Increased training for staff
- Limited guest capacity
- Additional oversight by management
- Improved processing for checking IDs
- Guidelines for security personnel numbers and assignments
The Patron Saint will also pay a $2,000 fine.
“All of these things are designed to provide additional security, safety measures. Fewer people allow for security to monitor the establishments, additional measures for checking ID ensure that people are 21. The additional step was the suspension for two different weekends, which seems to be punitive.”
WRTV reached out to The Patron Saint to ask about how they plan to ensure these incidents do not happen again.
Co-owner Brandy Allen said in an emailed statement:
"The Patron Saint recently accepted responsibility for violations issued by the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission and will be closed this Thursday-Saturday. The Patron Saint is committed to protecting the safety of its patrons as well as that of South Meridian and Downtown Indy.
We have discussed with the ATC ways we can be a leader in ensuring public safety for the area, and we look forward to working with the ATC and IMPD in the coming months on new steps to increase the safety of our community downtown Indianapolis."
The Patron Saint will be closed January 15 to 17.
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Nico Pennisi is the In Your Community reporter for Downtown Indy. He joined WRTV in October 2022. His passion has always been telling the stories of people who often get overlooked. Share your story ideas and important issues with Nico by emailing him at nico.pennisi@wrtv.com.
