Counting the two homicides Pine Bluff had on Christmas morning — yes, Christmas morning — the city had 29 last year, a number that is several times above the national average.
Two of those 29 happened in close proximity to a club located on Blake Street. One young man died at a house not far from the club, but before he died he told police he’d been shot at the business. And another young man was found shot to death in a car in the club’s parking lot.
It was encouraging to hear some concern if not outrage from city officials about the incidents, with some ready to just close the place down if that’s the best the operators can do to keep the peace in and around their own business.
Perhaps the most telling part of the story is what the police think about the place. According to a spokesperson for the department, many on the force see the club as a nuisance and say that anytime they respond to a call there, the place is chaotic. From a public safety perspective, it’s likely the worst in town, the spokesperson said, again, based on what rank and file police officers say.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
So it’s not as if this place is a Sunday school class most of the time and oops, these awful events just happened out of the blue. No, from what it sounds, the city is lucky there haven’t been more tragedies.
Does the city just up and close it, basing the move on the determination that the place is a nuisance and the city needs to abate that nuisance? It sounds as if that is a possibility.
It also might be possible to set out some demands for the club operator and, as Council Member Ivan Whitfield said, have the police check in on the club several times a week. He said that’s what used to happen when he was police chief and there were problems at clubs.
Mayor Shirley Washington said she had talked to Interim Police Chief Lloyd Franklin Sr., who told her he wanted to analyze all of the clubs in town, instead of singling out this particular club, and through that analysis, make sure the clubs are operating legally.
We look forward to a public discussion about and resolution to this matter. Many of the homicides in the city aren’t associated with a business or address, but this is an opportunity to look closer at a business that the police are saying up front is a problem area. And perhaps the protocol the city comes up with to stem violence at this business can then be used to guide other such businesses in the city away from a future tragedy.