Code enforcement a key to ending shootings

The recent northern Beaufort County crime wave that left four dead during 15 shootings since July 5 upon closer look unearths many facets of what is wrong with our communities.

Among those problems: Too many guns being carried illegally, not enough patrols in high-crime areas, high rates of recidivism due to low bail and what seems to be an increasing list of nightclubs — some operating illegally — that can be breeding grounds for violence.

At least two clubs, where recent shootings injured four people and sparked a series of retaliatory shootings, have been operating illegally. The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office is awaiting a Department of Revenue list to cross reference north-county businesses with state liquor licenses against Sheriff's Office service calls to better pinpoint high-crime areas.

Of course, it does no good for clubs that aren't compliant — they don't have permits or business licenses. They are, literally, off the map.

Can we say the crimes could have been prevented had those clubs been closed or cleaned up? Maybe not; however, a club that operates under the legal radar probably attracts those who wish to be the same. If this county is to find a solution to ending the violence, it also must shoulder the responsibility.

When it was reported in The Beaufort Gazette that Johnny Blue's in Sheldon and Studio Seven in Burton — both the sites of violent shootings — were found to be operating illegally at the time of the shootings, we, and many people, weren't surprised. Neither had a business license, and Johnny Blue's didn't even have an alcohol permit.

But we did question why these clubs continued to operate when we all knew they were violating the law. Johnny Blue's remains in the process of gaining a business license, and Studio Seven recently complied.

Studio Seven alone yielded 279 police calls since January 2006 ranging from assault with intent to kill, pointing a firearm and arson to assault and battery. Johnny Blue's number was significantly lower but still a known hotbed of illgal behavior.

The county ordinance that deals with business licenses allows these clubs time to comply. In short, they can continue operating as long as they are planning on becoming current. Both clubs, we are told, are "in the process." The same goes for the DOR: As long as the clubs plan on complying, it's still happy hour.

This leniency is astonishing. What happens when a person is caught driving with a suspended driver's license? It might yield a long night behind bars. One thing is for certain: Driving privileges are stripped. The same goes for constructing an addition on a house without a valid building permit. It's cease and desist — or else.

By allowing these suspect clubs to operate illegally, what kind of message are we sending to others who want to get in on the act? Go ahead, find an old building with busted-out windows and a litany of health-code violations and open a speakeasy. Do they pay taxes? Do they pass health codes? Are they insured? But what happens if the county codes office finds out? Expect a letter demanding compliance or incur a $1,000 fine. The ordinance also requires that a business owner pay 5 percent of his unpaid license fee for each month the fee is late.

That basically amounts to a slap on the wrist.

Department of Revenue also wants compliance, but it uses a slightly stronger grip: If convicted of the infraction, a club owner could be fined not more than $100 and imprisoned no more than 30 days; however, each day without a permit is a separate offense.

While encouraging businesses to operate legally is the ultimate goal, more discretion and muscle should be used if we want to rid our neighborhoods of crime-breeding institutions.

As it stands, we're condoning irresponsible and illegal behavior, and it's time to make a change. Lord only knows how many of these "clubs" are operating down old dirt roads, in shacks, in the shadows and among the dregs.

Unfortunately, we're finding out, but only after the shots are fired.