City Officials And Bar Owners Discuss Boston Nightlife Safety Measures

Boston officials, bar owners and club managers on Tuesday discussed new safety measures for nightlife in the city following the killing of a 23-year-old Dorchester woman who was last seen leaving a Theatre District nightclub.

“There are predators out there. There are hunters out there," Boston Police Commission William Gross said after the meeting. "... We wanna show people that we are working together collaboratively."

Gross was among nearly 200 law enforcement officers, bar owners and club managers who gathered at the Ironworkers Local 7 Union in South Boston to talk about ways to keep such nefarious individuals away from patrons.

The discussion was sparked by the death of Jassy Correia, who was last seen alive on Feb. 24 after leaving Venu Club. Louis Coleman, of Providence, faces a federal kidnapping charge in connection with her death. Video cameras showed him leaving the club with Corriea. She was later found dead in the trunk of his vehicle, authorities said.

At the meeting, Gross also mentioned the alleged kidnapping of Olivia Ambrose, another 23-year-old woman who went missing in January after visiting Hennessy’s, a bar at Faneuil Hall. Police found Ambrose alive, held against her will, inside the apartment of a man now charged with her kidnapping.

The group, according to Gross, proposed modern solutions like adding more security cameras around bars. The footage, several people pointed out, was helpful to police investigations.

Shawn Hunter, owner of Slades Bar and Grill on Tremont Street, said the disappearance and death of Correia has his patrons talking about safety in the city at night. He said he wasn’t sure what he could do on his own to be a part of a solution and was glad that law enforcement organized this meeting.

“This is the first step, so the follow up is important to see where this goes and what this meeting means,” said Hunter.

Gross also said there was a proposal for a joint committee of city officials and liquor license owners to establish best safety practices. However, no specifics or timeline were established for the committee’s creation.