SALISBURY, Md. - Market Street Inn owner Rob Mulford has installed new lights outside the restaurant to keep patrons and employees safe.
"Things are different. It's happening in our backyard now," said Rob Mulford. "It's come to a small town, what's happening across America. Thing are different. It's happened in their backyard. At the end of it people are fearful. People are worried. People that were schedule to come here don't want to come here or downtown."
The addition are a response to a deadly stabbing that occurred last weekend in downtown Salisbury. Maryland State Police say it happened early Sunday morning on Circle Avenue and West Market, across the street from Market Street Inn. Despite the fact that the stabbing did not happen at Market Street Inn itself, Mulford says the restaurant is feeling its impact.
"I'm worried after this incident, because everything is so tight and so down and so expensive," Mulford said. "This is a type of incident that could put you out of business. We've had to deal with Christmas parties being canceled, employees leaving because they don't feel safe to work here."
Mulford said the restaurant will use a metal detector for patrons coming in past 8 p.m., and the lights turned on at dusk or 5 p.m., and go off around 3:30 a.m. after the last employees have left after work.
WBOC reached out to Mayor Jake Day on his thoughts about the newly installed lights. The mayor says more lights are actually on the way. Day said between city and private funding, approximately $1.5 million will go toward adding more lights up the 100 block of Market Street.
Day said the construction should begin by October of 2023.