Santa Cruz restaurants-turned-nightclubs increase downtown crim...

There needs to be a downtown entertainment committee that will
administrate and manage entertainment permits.

Wow bars lead to crime. Never knew that. This is groundbreaking news.

no dancing, no drinking. find! why don't we just allow fundie churches downtown? That'll keep the cops happy. It's thier job to police areas, they get their salaries paid by the taxes on these businesses. Maybe if we hadn't put the cabash on live music and dancing, people wouldn't just be sitting around drinking and then have enough energy to fight. Yes, crime needs to be addressed, but maintaining a thriving downtown also needs to be a priority. Santa Cruz isn't a large urgban city, nor is it a suburban yawnville. Oh, and btw, banks and investment companies lead to crime, as well, maybe we shold ban them from the city limits.

If your cryin' for business, have the gang bangers come in, they have all kinds of drug money...

give me a break ,open your eyes ! YA TAKE EVERYTHING AWAY ....I'TS The Gangs who cause MOST of our problems..DA

DA DA DA

It should be obvious to anyone walking around after 10pm downtown that this town has a drinking problem, but painting these proprietors as scapegoats seems ill-advised, as does associating all of these incidents of violence with the crowds drawn in by these restaurant dance clubs.
It should be noted that this article cites "city estimates" at one point, then at another point cites a lack of exact statistics from the PD on the increase of calls to police.
I sympathize with the stresses on our police department, they have a lot of angles to consider in this town, but this article stinks and I don't buy it.

Hardly any of the recent violent crime seems to have been related to bars and dance clubs. This is true over the past several years.

The recent violent crime does seem to be related to the 7/11, to the liquor store, and to the bus station.

The only one the city is in charge of is the Bus Station - maybe they should move that.

One. Spend an hour on Pacific between 1:30 and 2:30 a,m, on a Friday or Saturday. Then tell me you still feel sorry for the people making big money pouring the drinks. The fact is that it costs a fortune to clean up after the party, and that's where about a third of your police budget goes. Why should the bars get that subsidy? No wonder restaurants try to sneak in on the deal.

Two. Google responsible hospitality. The bars that know how to do it right can make money without making a mess. The Crows Nest pours more than the Catalyst, without the nightly disaster on the street.

Three. The recent "crime wave" is not what the city should focus on. We just had more DUI death in the last couple of days than gang and drug deals combined, and no one is running to special meetings of the city council to demand they take action. We should ask the city to take action and spend our scarce resources based on data, not emotions.

Haven't both of the recent DUI fatalities been during the day? Wasn't the shooting in the parking lot behind Saturn?(no dance club there)

So how are late night dance clubs involved in this...

Seems like there is a movement to kill any sort of nightlife in Santa Cruz, I'm sure that will do WONDERS to the funding problem. Like it or not, alcohol and related activities (dancing, music) are a large revenue stream for downtown.(I do not have hard numbers, so I will not claim to have data on it)

Califunyun and Live Oak: Right on, people! Well said!

Relaxed liquor laws 20 years ago is the cause for our problems today? Please.

At least inside a bar it's controlled. Do something about the gang and homeless problem if you need something to do.

Ever been to downtown SJ? Looks like the bars have to pay for cops to hang out and monitor the more popular clubs. Felt safe and seemed like there was less trouble. How about a fee for these late night clubs to pay for cops to be right there taking care of the extra trouble they cause?

Relaxed? They closed down the E3 Playhouse because they're too relaxed!

It really wasn't that long ago that a stabbing murder occurred outside The Red late one night. This wasn't gang related, it was a fight due to drunkenness. So this is indeed one of the many problems that should be dealt with as part of making downtown safer. There's a lot that needs to be done to clean up our city. Because of the current outcry for safety, this is an opportunity to make lots of changes, this should just be one of many.

'Ben Lomond Resident' has it right...the crime is occurring in the dark corners of the downtown, which will get seedier if less people are out and about. Gang violence is NOT the main problem, but it sure is the attention grabber headline to rally around for City leaders. If you want to tax businesses, fine, but do your part to enact loitering laws to move the vagrants and drug addicts out of downtown. Note: this does NOT mean homeless, or street musicians. You don't have to (and shouldn't) take away the wonderful services this City provides to people who need assistance, BUT you have to give the police some judgement authority to clean up the downtown and address the real problems. Trust me, Santa Cruz will never become a police state if this is done as some fear it will. If more people spent money during the day, then the bars and restaurants wouldn't NEED to have blow out booze fests to pull it. Quit feeding the stray dog, and it will stop showing up at your door. The bottomless handouts, with no incentive to change behaviour, attract people from all over the Country to come here and hang out, and lurk.

What do you pay the cops to do anyways? Sit around and eat donuts. Cops should shut up and do thier job just like the rest of us do.

Allow SCPD Officers to do security OFF DUTY like most other problem cities at bars, clubs and businesses.

Relying on the same folks who put the bridge to nowhere over the river, the Tannery Arts expense, the Homeless Shelter and then chop the Police Officers budget is insane. The are getting exactly what they asked for and then some. Nightmare in Santa Cruz by the City Leaders!

You cannot expect consequences to not manifest when judgment and fiscal behavior is this abnormal. It defies the laws of nature to not expect violence when it is encouraged by a majority of managed Agency ignorance.

Sick agenda, Santa Cruz Leaders!

Downtown Retiree wrote:

It really wasn't that long ago that a stabbing murder occurred outside The Red late one night. This wasn't gang related, it was a fight due to drunkenness. So this is indeed one of the many problems that should be dealt with as part of making downtown safer. There's a lot that needs to be done to clean up our city. Because of the current outcry for safety, this is an opportunity to make lots of changes, this should just be one of many.

I recall that single incident. But it hardly seems illustrative of a widespread problem. The parties involved had a long-standing feud between them.

This article reads like the police are complaining about having to do their jobs. There'd be even less crime if we simply had a dusk to dawn curfew. I'd like to see something much more specific from the police, quantifying the problem and proposing solutions. I'd also like to see the bar and restaurant community actively involved in this process.

This is a lynch pin moment for our Town...the Dot.com money is gone, the housing bubble is over, and the tax revenue is not coming back. If businesses don't succeed, then the Town slumps. If people want the value of their homes to climb back up, the Town needs to clean up and thrive. There is no savior coming for the City coffers. This is no joke guys...the City was bailed out for DECADES by an influx of tax revenue from the above 'bubbles'...and that ship has sailed now. No revenue = less police = more problems = less patronage to businesses downtown. Simple economics. If the City is to stabilize its tax base, its going to have to come from a better business climate, and sales tax from businesses doing WELL, not being taxed into oblivion for having late night parties to make ends meet.

Downtown Retiree wrote:

It really wasn't that long ago that a stabbing murder occurred outside The Red late one night. This wasn't gang related, it was a fight due to drunkenness. So this is indeed one of the many problems that should be dealt with as part of making downtown safer. There's a lot that needs to be done to clean up our city. Because of the current outcry for safety, this is an opportunity to make lots of changes, this should just be one of many.

Downtown Retiree - I think you are very misinformed. In fact, the stabbing near Red was related to the viticm and agressor's past relationships and drug use. This was NOT two customers getting drunk at Red and stabbing one another as you imply. I think its outrageous that you would post something so inflamatory. And if you are a Downtown Retiree you would know that the majority of issues downtown are related to drug use, gang activity and vagrants. Read the police media blog.