A successful, fun, and safe weekend in Downtown Mobile last weekend! More than a thousand people took to the streets enjoying several parades and a concert by R&B artist, Nelly. Safety was a major concern for many including downtown business owner following a mass shooting in Downtown Mobile. After the shooting police came up with a plan in a meeting with the Downtown Mobile Alliance and business owners. Tonight, those business owners are happy. The solutions seem to be working.

"We've done a lot of great work. I'm determined and I'm not going to allow one or two incidents in the last week to overshadow all the great work and success that we've seen,” Chief Prine told NBC 15 on January 2nd.

Just one day after 9 people were struck with gunfire and one was killed in a shooting prior to the Moonpie dropping. For one local business, people looking for a job were hesitant to apply.

"I know that maybe some new hires didn't want to come around and fill out applications because of it," says Isabel Resch, the Service Manager at Squid Ink.

After the horrific incident, Mobile police met up with the Downtown Mobile Alliance and concerned business owners. Trying to find ways to make Downtown safer ahead of the carnival season.

They came up with solutions. One of them being having a higher contingency of officers including MPD going out on mounted patrol, patrol officers on corner posts with their lights on to deter crime and having large generator lights along the parade route to light up some of the more poorly lit areas. Frank Schottgen, the owner of Serda's Coffee Company Downtown says he has noticed and appreciates the increased police presence.

"We were thrilled to see the police presence step up a little bit down here and they've done a great job. I've seen them every day down here," he says.

Resch says she feels safe.

"We're all very comfortable. We've got the Downtown Alliance that is willing to take you to your cars. During Mardi Gras when we have parades there's a police officer outside on the front door watching for us," she says.

Carol Hunter with the downtown alliance says the proof the solutions work are in the numbers.

"To have 50, 60, 70, 80 thousand people downtown and to not have any serious incidents that's a normal Mardi Gras for us so it's good that we're starting off the season that way," says Hunter.

MPD plans to continue having a large contingent of officers throughout the Mardi Gras season.