Owners Set To Increase Security at Nightclubs

Attorneys for a group of nightclub, bar and catering hall owners agreed yesterday to end their legal battle with Prince George's County over the closure of nine establishments this year, saying they will work with the county to upgrade security plans.

Under the deal, owners have agreed to increase the number of off-duty police officers at the clubs, improve lighting, install extra security cameras, and, in at least one case, put in ID scanners.

County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) ordered the shuttering of the clubs March 29, days after the county marked its 11th homicide in 11 days. Faced with growing public fear that county police were losing ground in their fight against crime, Johnson and Police Chief Melvin C. High called the clubs "magnets for violence" that posed "a threat to public safety."

The county action prompted a Prince George's Circuit Court judge to issue a temporary restraining order barring the county from closing five of the clubs because, he said, the county had not adequately warned owners and did not give specific grounds for the closures.

Under the order, the county was given three months to work out differences with the clubs over enforcement of a county ordinance that allows authorities to close businesses considered to pose an "imminent threat and danger" to public safety.

Yesterday, the judge, Thomas P. Smith, signed off on paperwork calling for the dismissal of the restraining order filed by attorneys for Tick Tock, Millennium and Cuzco in the Hyattsville area, Crossroads in Bladensburg and Le Pearl in Capitol Heights. The move effectively ended -- at least temporarily -- a two-month political and legal imbroglio that pitted top Prince George's officials against owners and supporters of some of the county's busiest nighttime venues.

"Both the county and the clubs are pleased with the outcome," said John Erzen, a spokesman for the county executive. "We've made significant progress in terms of security at all nine of the clubs."

Erzen said county officials and club lawyers finalized the terms of an agreement last week that calls for security improvements at the establishments. The agreement was reached after club owners and top police commanders hammered out details of the upgrades during several meetings over the past month.

Gene Pitrof, an attorney for Tick Tock, said his client has hired additional off-duty police officers and installed new lighting on the outside of the building and extra security cameras. Pitrof said police officials appeared to be satisfied with the changes and were especially pleased last week when investigators caught a suspect after a new camera recorded a robbery in action.

"Tick Tock has stepped up to the plate, and they're being good partners with the police department and with the community," said Maj. Kevin Davis, 1st Police District commander. "They've taken the measures they need to."

Pitrof said that his client and other club owners are sensitive to the need to protect public safety but that the county's closure of the club without notice was unconstitutional and unnecessarily raised tensions between owners and authorities. He vowed to return to court if the county moves to close the club under the ordinance.

"It was an outrageous abuse of the rights of the property owners because it was taking business away from them without proper process," Pitrof said. "It didn't need to happen. If they wanted additional security at these sites, all they had to do was ask because owners were more than willing to do what was asked."

Larry Holzman, an attorney for Le Pearl, also promised to fight the county if officials moved again to close the catering hall. He said his client met with police to discuss security, but police did not ask for any changes, saying they were "satisfied" with the level of security there.

Crossroads, however, will make substantial changes to its security plan, increasing cameras and off-duty polices officers, said Pilar Camus, an attorney for the club.

"It's not like there was no security -- there was. But now we've agreed with the county to make improvements," Camus said.