In an effort to curb violence in the area, police officers have instructed businesses not to overserve people, not to admit people who’ve already had too much to drink and make sure patrons don’t have weapons.
As people spill out of nightclubs in the early weekend hours, assaults and brawls have unfolded on Pierpont Avenue this summer. Police and businesses are working together to prevent violence.
The clubs have always had security, but their owners recently began staffing more armed guards and partnering with police, who have increased patrols in the area after two large, violent brawls broke out on the block this summer. For the past several months, Salt Lake City police have tried to work with business owners to identify safety solutions, with one officer acting as a liaison.
Douglas Kesler, who co-owns the conjoined clubs, arrived at an office-slash-command center just before 10 p.m. on July 22, bringing with him two bounding labradoodles, who were scared of the Pioneer Day fireworks but didn’t seem to mind the loud, steady thump of bass from upstairs. When bouncers scan IDs, the technology cross references a list of names of people wanted by police, and immediately alerts staff who can then tell police — or refuse would-be guests entry.
“But as I’ve said before, what we see is people who are definitely letting smaller things escalate into much bigger problems,” Weisberg said. The move has cut down on the number of vehicles circling the block and encouraged crowds to head home, he said.A Salt Lake Tribune analysis of police calls for service on the block shows that since 2020, the vast majority are generatedThere were 273 calls for service for this block in 2021, compared to 148 the year before. This year, as of early July, police had been called to the block 115 times.
Police haven’t made any arrests in connection with the June stabbing. Responding officers arrested a 19-year-old woman outside the club after they said she drunkenly tried to get into a fight. A probable cause statement alleged she slapped an officer who broke up the skirmish and threatened to “put a bullet in the officers’ heads.”
The force of the blow knocked Mohammed on his back, rendering him immediately unconscious. Police found him in the northwest corner of the lot, bleeding heavily from his mouth and nose. He was taken to a hospital but later died. A medical examiner said the punch and subsequent fall fractured his skull. He died of blunt force trauma.
Ana Valdemoros, the Salt Lake City council member who represents downtown, said she’s concerned about every crime in her district, but especially in the spaces that attract hundreds for entertainment and nightlife
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