Imagine an establishment where, on average, the cops are called every three days. On occasion somebody dies. And it’s right downtown, across from the convention center.
And there’s nothing that can be done about it. About Club XS.
Wet-zone permits can be pulled for a bunch of reasons — such as underage drinking or fire-code violations — but not for random violence among patrons.
Through the end of May, police officers have responded to 49 calls at Club XS. Not even the sleaziest of Nebraska Avenue gin mills XCeeds that notorious number.
Perhaps it’s akin to going after Al Capone for tax evasion, but the city might want to get creative. Wet zone permits can also be pulled for creating an ongoing nuisance. Forty-nine police calls through the end of May is pretty ongoing. Nuisance is too nice a word for customer-generated brawls, stabbings, shootings and garden-variety mayhem, but it will do.
Count on this, however. The day that a police officer — on or off-duty — is killed because of Club XS is the day the city will find cause in a hurry to shut this menace down. Hopefully, it won’t come to that