After multiple shootings, Houston council finds shutting down after-hours clubs is no easy task

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston City Council members are hearing from their constituents that people want the shootings at after-hours nightclubs to end. However, during a public safety hearing today, the harsh reality was that actual enforcement is often just slightly more than wishful thinking.

On March 24, for example, six people were shot at the Latinas Sports Bar on Hillcroft, which police characterized as an after-hours club.

RELATED: SW Houston after-hours club closes 2 days after 6 people were shot in its parking lot

At the time of the shooting, an Assistant Police Chief said that "establishments like this, that harbor (DWIs & assaults) within our city contribute to the crime, and we're going to shut them down."

Keeping that promise would no doubt be more challenging.

During Tuesday's Council Public Safety Committee meeting, Chair Amy Peck focused on the central question: How can these clubs be shuttered? The City Fire Marshal's office presented an informational report that, in essence, told council members that closing these clubs would be difficult.

The problems are multi-fold. City departments can inspect and issue citations for building code violations, health code violations, issue tickets for noise complaints, etc. However, they generally do not have the power to just shut down businesses.

"One of the biggest things that's come to light is a lot of ordinances are pretty weak on it, and we have the fire marshals, and HPD, and permitting, and we're working so hard," Peck said. "A lot of our hands are tied, and there are a lot of changes that need to be made in regards to after-hours clubs or even regular clubs."

Even temporary, complaint-based closures are difficult because most complaints happen on nights and weekends. However, that's not when most fire marshals and other city inspectors work.

"We have 102 fire marshals doing various jobs," the department testified during the committee hearings. "On weekends, we have 3, and on nights we have 6."

That's frustrating for the one Houstonian who showed up to the committee to testify.

"The whole process seems really weak," said Houstonian Doug Brown. "It's very frustrating. The fire dept. has 3 fire marshals, only 3 on weekends, and when all this happens, and Public Works only works during business hours, and that's not when these things happen."

One City Council staffer suggested more drastic measures that's been tried in other cities should be considered in Houston. That includes measures such as shutting down the water or electricity for these wayward clubs.

However, the Fire Marshal's office says cutting off water would be harmful if there is actually a fire, and cutting off electricity would make fire alarms not work. So for now, they're going to look into beefing up city ordinances, which has significant limitations.

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