news-record.com

GREENSBORO — Greensboro police are considering ideas to improve safety at nightclubs throughout the city in light of violent incidents in the past several weeks.

Police leaders say their recommendations, which will be made to the City Council, are not complete and talks are ongoing.

“I think in general, this is an over-arching public safety issue (that needed discussion),” said Dwight Crotts, an assistant police chief who oversees the patrol bureau.

“If we see something we need to address, we are certainly going to take a look at it.”

Since late October, police have dealt with a series of violent crimes related to area nightclubs that include:

* The Oct. 28 shooting at the intersection of South Elm Street and February One Place. Quinton Campbell, 22, is accused of shooting four people following an argument in the former N Club, before he was shot by a Greensboro police officer. All of the shooting victims survived.

* A night later, police arrested 23-year-old Scott Busenlehner after officers said he threatened a group of people with a handgun outside the Greene Street Club.

* On Nov. 7, an argument inside LAX Gentleman’s Club on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive led to a shooting in the parking lot after two patrons were escorted out of the club. Leroy Copney Jr., 37, was charged in that case. Police allege the club’s management tried to clean up the crime scene before officers arrived, although an attorney for the owner denies that claim.

* On Nov. 28, Lacqueon Gregory, 18, was shot and killed outside Club Plush on High Point Road in an apparent drive-by. Police believe Gregory was an innocent bystander and not the intended target. The case remains unsolved.

The downtown shooting led the City Council to consider several measures to improve safety in the area, including newly passed ordinances on loitering and an 11 p.m. curfew for teens under 18, which begins Jan. 1.

The council is considering other measures aimed to improve nightclub security downtown.

But the police department is considering ideas to make all clubs safer citywide.

“We are engaged in discussions with some property owners to get an idea of what we could do — with the understanding we would ask for some things,” Crotts said, saying the recommendations wouldn’t necessarily mean new laws.

“It’s a work in progress, and we are in the early stages of coming up with ideas to make it work.”

Some of the ideas involve club security, outside lighting, surveillance cameras and improving the relationship that police have with the state ABC Commission as they make recommendations regarding alcohol licenses.

“Generally, those are ideas being kicked around,” Crotts said.

He said there is no set date for the department to share its ideas with City Council.

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com