COLORADO SPRINGS — The latest violence at a downtown nightclub — a brawl early Sunday that took more than 20 officers to control — has police and business owners discussing changes in bars’ hours and music, the head of the Downtown Partnership said Monday.
“We can either create such a bad reputation that nobody comes downtown, or we can come up with fair ways to cooperate and address the issues and make downtown a fun place to be,” said Ron Butlin, executive director of the nonprofit business group.
Changes being discussed include staggered closing times to reduce crowds on the street, a code of conduct in clubs to head off trouble early, dress codes and changes in music selections an hour before closing.
“I am not familiar enough with hip-hop to say all hip-hop creates problems, but there is certainly an element to the music that can lead to that,” Butlin said. “Face it, the symphony isn’t having these problems.”
Sgt. Steve Noblitt said the fight started about 1:45 a.m. inside the Syn Nightclub at 217 E. Pikes Peak Ave. and spilled into the street, where it involved more than 75 people.
Police used pepper spray to control the crowd. Six club employees and a patron were taken to a hospital, but no one had been arrested as of Monday.
The disc jockey at the club, Jay Vines, known as DJ Lemonhead, said the police report describing the altercation as a near riot was overblown. He said police might have seen 75 to 100 people leaving the club, but just a few were in the fight.
