Tension between bar owners and neighborhood residents are nothing new on Lower Greenville.  So it should come as no surprise that when Suede Bar and Grill opened what they claimed to be the "biggest rooftop bar patio in Texas" complete with live music, someone was bound to call the police. 

When the bar turned up the music, Avi Adelman, of BarkingDogs.Org [1] fame, complained.

But instead of the peace and quiet he hoped to find, Adelman ended up getting a ticket himself.

A little over an hour later, Adelman received a profanity-laced email.  The sender was traced back to a computer at the Dallas Police Department's Central Operations Division.

The series of events began about 8:00 Saturday evening when Adelman arrived home to the sound of a bar's rooftop sound system.  Records show he called 9-1-1 at 8:10 P.M.

Shortly after the call, the noise subsided.  About 30 minutes later, Dallas Police Officer Michael Welch, a 4 year veteran of the department, arrived at Adelman's house. Officer Welch asked Adelman for his driver's license and drove away--something Adelman found odd.

"I thought he was on his way to ask the bar to turn down the sound," said Adelman.

A few minutes later, however, Officer Welch returned with a ticket already filled out for "abuse of a 9-1-1 system."  Police officers frequently instruct neighbors to call 9-1-1 to report everything from disturbances to parking violations.

"Now I know why [Officer Welch] asked me for my driver's license," noted Adelman.

But did Officer Welch ever make it to Suede Bar and Grill about the noise?  The answer is unclear. 

St. Joe, Texas Police Chief Ervin and Lieutenant C. Gage work as off-duty security staffers for Suede Bar and Grill.  When the pair was asked if Dallas Police officers had been by to speak with owners about loud music, both said "no."

"No one [from the police department] has been here tonight," said Chief Ervin, "but maybe they went to the back door." 

At 10:37, Adelman received an email sent through a form on his BarkingDogs.Org website which read:

"HEARD YOU GOT A CITATION FOR ABUSING 911. YOU DERSERVE(sic) THE TICKET YOU SELF SERVING PIECE OF <expletive>...HAVE A NICE DAY.  CALL BRETT SHIPP."

Internet registrar records show the message originated from a City of Dallas server.  Adelman's logs show that the only messages he's received from the address in question were from computers at the Dallas Police Department's Central Operations Division.

The reference to WFAA television reporter Brett Shipp may indicate the email (and the ticket) was in response to Adelman's cooperation on a Channel 8 investigatiive report [2] into the police department's use of pepper balls against unruly bar patrons.

Dallas Police supervisors, however, took the matter seriously.  When Dallas Police Sergeant Richard Rivas was informed of the email he expressed concerned.

"The department doesn't condone that [conduct]," said Sergeant Rivas.

According to Adelman, several supervisors had become involved in the matter before the evening's end.  This may ultimately solve the mystery of who sent Adelman the profanity-laden email.

But there may be a bigger question that needs to be answered. 

With live rooftop music scheduled by at least two Lower Greenville bars, and the warm nights ahead to draw bar patrons to loftier perches, the ingredients may be there for more clashes.

The big question, however, is: will residents opt to shut up and bear the noise, instead of risking the wrath of a police officer? 

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