Concerned about safety in Lawrence’s downtown night spots? A city staff attorney chatted this afternoon online about the issue (Read the transcript).

Scott Miller, a staff attorney for the city who presented various options to the Lawrence City Commission last month, responded to questions this afternoon that dealt with such topics as downtown surveillance cameras to increasing the police presence at night.

Safety at Lawrence’s downtown bars and entertainment venues has been a concern in recent months for the Lawrence City Commission.

In mid-May, seven shots were fired inside the Last Call, 729 N.H., sending 200 people fleeing into the street, though no one was injured. In February, two men were shot – one fatally – outside the Granada, 1020 Mass., following a concert at the nightclub. And throughout the year, police have been finding numerous guns in vehicles parked near downtown nightclubs.

The commission plans to have another public meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday at city hall to discuss some of the options presented to them last month.

Those options included creating entertainment club licensing and security licensing; setting up bar watch, club watch and pub watch systems and installing downtown security cameras.