Rock Island Today

The District of Rock Island is temporarily requiring all bars to close at 2 a.m. until Feb. 28 after a man was shot a killed downtown and five others were wounded. 

"We are taking away an hour of revenue from the bar owners but not giving them anything to help them recoup that lost revenue,"  Ward 4 Alderwoman Jenni Swanson told the Dispatch Argus. "We talk about the city and bar owners' partnership in the District, but sometimes it seems like a one-sided partnership."

She said the main priority is safety in the district. But the Aug. 29 shootings were not an isolated incident, Police Chief Jeff VenHuizen said. 

"There have been a number of violent incidents that have occurred," VenHuizen said. "We've had stabbings; we've had shootings inside other establishments in the District. I want to see a safe downtown. The demand on police services are extensive."

So far, bar owners in the district have been cooperating with the police, Bettendorf attorney Michael Meloy said. But this doesn't mean bar owners are happy with the changed. 

RIBCO owner Terry Tilka has been attending public meetings and isn't happy with the solutions the city is implementing. 

"I'm fed up with this, I'm disgusted with it, I'm tired of coming to these meetings and being put through this," Tilka said. "I'm about ready to lose my business. I'm going to end up with two empty buildings sitting in your downtown. It took 30 years to build this and in 30 days, this (City Council) is going to destroy everything we've worked for."