i came across this article just now and found some interesting info in it. imo there's nothing authorities can really do to prevent random fights. people just have to learn to be the bigger person and refuse to be a part of one. just like how i assume everyone on the road is a drunk, i'll assume anyone picking a fight is armed and procede accordingly.

quote:

Summit aims to stem bloodshed at SF nightclubs Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer Tuesday, January 8, 2008 With two killings outside nightclubs in the first week of this year in San Francisco police and city officials are hoping to come up with a plan to prevent more bloodshed at a special meeting later this month. Marcus Peppars, 26, of San Francisco, was killed before 5 a.m. on New Year's Day after attending a party at a Ninth Street warehouse South of Market. More club related violence occurred early Sunday and claimed the life of Clarence Corbin 34, of Antioch, who was shot outside Jelly's Dance Cafe at 295 Terry A. Francois Blvd. in Mission Bay. "People are coming into the city to party, and more and more people are arming themselves. They feel they have a right to," said Lt. John Murphy of the homicide detail. "People are drunk after the clubs, they are looking for some place to go or things to do. And these confrontations start." Other serious club-related violence erupted over the weekend. At 1:12 a.m. Sunday, police said, a patron at Club Vessel was wounded when a fight inside the club spilled out into the street at 89 Campton Place. A little more than an hour later, two women were attacked outside City Nights at 715 Harrison St. San Francisco police Lt. Dan Mahoney said a group of women found the club closed, then were subjected to anti-gay epithets by two men. One woman was punched to the ground. The other suffered a skull fracture when she was hit by a bottle. Mahoney said off-duty officers serving as security for the club arrested two Antioch men, Tylo Felix, 19, and Eric Owusubempah, 18. In response to the violence, officials - from the mayor's office to police to members of the city's Entertainment Commission - will hold what they are billing as a policy summit meeting to discuss the issue Jan. 17. A time and place for the meeting has not been determined, officials said. Police say they have been hampered in imposing rules on clubs since creation of the Entertainment Commission by the Board of Supervisors in 2003. Before, police say, they dealt directly with clubs to improve lighting, security and other measures. Now, they say, they frequently must go through the commission to bring about changes in club operations. With the rash of killings, police officials say they want to work collaboratively with the commission, club owners and state beverage control regulators to improve club security. "We want to work together, that's why we have a summit on the 17th - we are looking for ways to increase security with the clubs," said Sgt. Steve Mannina, police spokesman. Police say they want club owners and their security staff to call them as soon as possible when there are problems, rather than simply trying to contain disputes. "We hope to achieve a safe environment where people can go and enjoy the nightlife of San Francisco," Mannina said. He said the Police Department is mapping the locations of problem clubs, adding patrols and bringing in state alcohol officials to crack down on violations. "One of the common threads we see is that violence is happening very close to closing time or after," Mannina said. "We believe they are all spontaneous violence, and half the victims are not from San Francisco." He said most of the attacks involve people who have had too much to drink. Proponents of the 2002 legislation that led to the formation of the Entertainment Commission advocated for its creation in part with the argument that police had too free a hand to impose operating restrictions on the clubs and were taking the fun out of the city's nightlife. Robert Davis, executive director of the Entertainment Commission, said Monday that his agency is looking into the recent incidents of violence. "It is certainly a cause for concern," he said, adding that he does not see any friction with police over how to regulate clubs. "We work very closely with police in getting clubs into compliance. We want to be on the same page - we think we are." He said police have the authority to issue citations against problem clubs. "Police do not have to consult us to issue a citation," he said. However, he said, police do work with the commission in seeking restrictions on clubs beyond what is required by law. "I think that the Entertainment Commission serves a very valuable purpose," Davis said. "We represent the stakeholders and work very closely with law enforcement and the management about the conditions of clubs," he said. "We want to ensure a safe experience for people who want to partake in San Francisco nightlife."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artic...eed=rss.bayarea

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Last edited by R!CH on Jan-08-2008 at 09:07