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Community figures call for regulations for after hour clubs following recent incidents
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BATON ROUGE — Some people are calling for regulations on after-hours clubs, which don't serve alcohol but do stay open late, after multiple deaths at or near the clubs.
These clubs can attract large crowds, and NAACP State President Michael McClanahan said he's not against these clubs being open, but regulations need to be put in place to ensure the area is safe.
"Nothing good happens after 10 p.m. It gets even worse after 12 – it gets even worse after one and two o'clock in the morning because evil lurks under the cover of darkness," McClanahan said.
In February, 22-year-old LaDerrica Stewart was killed in a hit-and-run while leaving a club along Plank Road. The driver was eventually arrested after taking the vehicle to a mechanic for repair.
Her father made a post on social media following the arrest stating: "Charges aren't enough. I need footage from club owners and corner stores from which she received alcohol from. This woman killed my baby. She has no remorse."
In June, 24-year-old Prenesha Wagner was killed in a shooting outside a Choctaw Drive nightclub, and five others were injured.
So far, a 15-year-old has been arrested. BRPD said they seized six guns and collected 160 shell casings from the scene.
"These places are a magnet. They draw, and when you draw, you can't just say 'I'm gonna draw in the good. I'm gonna draw the good, and the bad, and the ugly'," McClanahan said.
McClanahan said he believes the promoters of these events need to prepare appropriately to prevent harm.
"I'm making sure that you have no weapons on you, but alcohol is a weapon, drugs are a weapon. Because those things in the wrong hands in the wrong mind, it can do damage," he said.
He said Baton Rouge is evolving with after-hours clubs being a hot commodity, but more rules need to be put in place.
"We need to start sitting down as a council, and we need to start saying look here, these places are here. Are they here to stay? If so, we need to ensure the safety of the citizens of Baton Rouge," McClanahan said.
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