A recent string of violence surrounding nightclubs and bars in Boston, including the recent kidnapping and murder of Jassy Correia, is prompting one city councilor to call for action. Correia was celebrating her birthday in a Boston nightclub and went missing. Days later she was found dead inside the trunk of a car belonging to her alleged kidnapper Louis D. Coleman III. Now, Boston City Councilor Annissa Essaibi-George is asking for a public hearing about safety policies at nightlife establishments. She spoke with Morning Edition Host Joe Mathieu. The transcript below has been edited for clarity.
Joe Mathieu: Councilor, what do you hope to accomplish here?
Annissa Essaibi-George: What I really want to do is make sure that we understand the city's process, and that we follow the city when an individual has gone missing. Especially in light of so many unsolved cases. I think it's really important as a city that we're educating residents [and] our visitors about the dangers of public safety in nightlife settings, and to understand the role and responsibility that nightlife establishments play in protecting their patrons, and what sort of safety accommodations they need to make for their guests.
Mathieu: You've referred to the fact that we've had several cases — most recently, the awful case of Jassy Correia. And you refer in your statement, Councilor, to “the culture of violence against women that afflicts this city.” Should women be worried about going out at night?
Essaibi-George: I don't want women to have to feel worried. But unfortunately, we live in a society where people prey on vulnerable individuals. We have to make sure that we're taking responsibility, certainly for our own actions and not behaving badly, but also watching out for each other. A woman should be able to go out in a nightclub in the city of Boston and not fear for her life. Boston Police have done an incredible job investigating and working with the tools that they have access to, but we need to make sure the bar owners and the nightlife establishments are also at the table.
Mathieu: Is it fair to put a burden on these businesses to control the behavior of their customers?
Essaibi-George: Well, I think the burden lies with the amount of alcohol that they're serving, with the state of an individual coming or going into one of their establishments. They can control that at the front door.
Mathieu: That's what we're talking about, though — limiting that ability to overindulge?
Essaibi-George: Well, it's making sure that we're getting them home safely and that we're outlining the ways we can do that. I don't know what the answer is, and I don't think that there is one single answer. I think we can work together to figure out some improvements to the system as it is right now, [in] partnership with these private business owners, who make a lot of money on the backs of young people, in particular, in our city. They do have a responsibility — if they're going to serve them — to make sure that they're safe.
