College hangout managers confident in security tactics

Scott Andrew Taras Arizona Daily Wildcat One man was killed and two others injured during a Thursday night shooting at The Wildcat House, 1801 N. Stone Ave. A club employee said metal detectors will be used every night by security guards.

A fatal shooting last week at a Tucson nightclub will not affect security at many college bars and clubs, but the business managers remain wary of violence on certain nights.

Thursday's shooting at The Wildcat House, 1801 N. Stone Ave., left one man dead and two others injured. Police believe the incident was gang-related.

A Wildcat House employee who withheld his identity said the club has 15 to 18 doormen on duty every night.

The employee said the club owns a hand-held metal detector that they previously used only on Wednesday nights - "Teen Night."

In response to the recent shooting, Wildcat House security will use the metal detector every night, the employee said.

Although the nightclub will tighten security, police have no plans for increased deployment of officers in areas where clubs are located, said Sgt. Brett Klein, a Tucson Police Department spokesman.

But Klein said officers in areas where clubs are located keep track of schedules to know when extra security might be needed.

"We're aware of those nights like teen night," he said.

"We try to stay relatively near the places when the clubs disperse at midnight or one," he added.

Other Tucson club managers said the shooting reaffirmed ideas that playing hip-hop music and having specialized "teen nights" warrant increased security.

"Hip-hop music brings in a different type of crowd than the raver music," said Paul Tessen, floor manager at the dance club DV8, 5851 E. Speedway Blvd.

Tessen said the club has a hand-held metal detector but they don't search patrons who aren't wearing baggy clothes.

"It's the doorman's discretion to use the metal detector," he said, adding that a lot of nightclubs do not use metal detectors because it could make the club appear dangerous.

"It might scare business away," Tessen added.

Robert Perez, manager of Gotham and The New West, 4385 W. Ina Rd., said club security workers do not use metal detectors, but they will not hesitate to search patrons.

Perez said the club has a very strict dress code on nights that allow teenagers.

"We're more relaxed on weekends because it's a more responsible crowd," he said.

The owners of Gotham and The New West hire five Marana police officers who help with security when they are off-duty.

They have between 16 to 20 doormen each night, he added.

"We have the occasional bar fight, but what bar doesn't," he said.

Brian Locker, manager of Maloney's On Fourth, 213 N. Fourth Ave., said they attract a different crowd than other establishments.

"We don't play hip-hop or rap," he said. "We play everything from Fifties music to Eighties music - we're not going to get that crowd associated with gangs."

A manager at O'Malleys On Fourth, 247 N. Fourth Ave., said they attract people from all different backgrounds who get along well.

The trick to stopping altercations is to stay alert, said the manager, who identified himself only as Steve.

"You have to walk through the crowd a lot," he said. "Try to get to it (the altercation) before it occurs."

Ian Broome, manager of Gentle Ben's Brewing Co., 865 E. University Blvd., said they have three or four doormen who also work for different clubs, so they know the clientele.

Broome said the doormen will search patrons if they sense something unusual.

He said "suspicious behavior like someone wearing a coat on a hot summer night," could lead to a search.

Broome said he feels the area is safe because the University of Arizona Police Department and TPD both patrol the area.

Metro, 296 N. Stone Ave., has a different approach to dealing with the crowd. Dave Storrs, a manager at Metro, said the club's motto is "dress to impress."

"People tend to act better when dressed better," he said. "You don't get dressed up to get into a fight."