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DOWNTOWN Ashland police hope to crack down on rowdies Complaints include noise and fights outside bars Comment By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted May. 7, 2015 at 3:19 PM By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted May. 7, 2015 at 3:19 PM » Social News The Ashland Police Department is considering a number of options to rein in nuisance and rowdy behavior downtown by both transients and patrons of local bars. Deputy Chief Warren Hensman told the City Council this week that police may request an expansion of the downtown exclusion zone, an area in which persistent offenders may temporarily banned. The city passed the exclusion ordinance in 2012 in response to what police described as out-of-control nuisance crimes by the local transient population. Hensman said police are looking at expanding the areas subject to the ordinance, possibly to include the Bill Patton Garden, as well as the number of violations that qualify for exclusion. Police said the department took 199 calls of disorderly conduct last year in the downtown area, compared with 264 in 2013 and 310 in 2012. Police are also trying to address the significant number of complaints from the Will Dodge Way area over the actions of patrons of nearby bars. Will Dodge Way is an alley that runs behind businesses on a two-block stretch of Main Street. Hensman said the department had conducted a number of plainclothes stings at the Vinyl Club and O'Ryan's Irish Pub on Will Dodge Way in recent months in an attempt to target alcohol and noise issues in the area. "We've always issued citations or made arrests (during the stings)," he said. Neighbors have complained about large numbers of patrons congregating in the alley behind the bars at night and the accompanying noise and fights. Previous statistics released by the police department show calls for service at the clubs decreased steadily between 2012 and 2014, but nearby residents have continued to complain about noisy crowds in the alley on the weekends. The city cited the Vinyl Club for noise violations earlier this year, and the case is scheduled for trial in municipal court July 14. "The Will Dodge Way situation hasn't really improved," neighbor Madeline Hill told the council Monday. "I think some of the problems with Will Dodge Way would not have happened if you had a better liquor license review process." Mike Leslie, co-owner of the Vinyl Club and manager of O'Ryans, told the council in December that both bars have an open-door policy with local police, and argued that amending the noise ordinance to include the alleyway would negatively impact the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and other venues. "There have been several conversations to make changes with the businesses," Hensman said. "There have been discussions about internal structural changes that would bring customers to the front of the building instead of Will Dodge Way." Hensman said the department has been working with the city attorney to see if Ashland's chronic nuisance ordinance can be amended to include overcrowding and right-of-way violations. Reach reporter Thomas Moriarty at 541-776-4471, or by email at [email protected]. Follow him at @ThomasDMoriarty. By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted May. 7, 2015 at 3:19 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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