Figures compiled by the Columbus Police Department revealed 28 police incident reports at Club Hiedi Ho in 2014, including 14 involving illegal drugs, four simple assaults, two assaults on police officers, one fight and two “shots-fired” incidents.
To put that in context, the club is generally open on the weekends and occasionally Thursdays, so those 28 incidents occurred on the 52 weekends of the year.
Most recently, a shooting death occurred at the club in the early morning hours of Jan. 1. Police have arrested a club disc jockey who was already out on bond on an earlier aggravated assault charge in that shooting.
And while detailed records on the club were not provided by the CPD prior to 2014, there is some evidence to suggest that 2014 was pretty typical. From April 2011 until the end of 2014, there were 237 calls to 911 from the club, including five calls to report shots being fired. During that 45-month period, that’s an average of more than five 911 calls per month.
It begs the question: At what point does Hiedi Ho become Hiedi Whoa?
In the wake of the New Year’s Day shooting, CPD chief Tony Carleton has vowed to take a closer look at the club, although he has stopped well short of calling for the club to be shut down as a public nuisance, something the city has the authority to enforce.
Carleton views that as a last resort, stating that he would prefer to work with club owner Larry Golden on a plan to address the crime issues at the club.
While we commend Carleton for his restraint, we wonder if the time for such a measured approach has long since passed.
As the statistics indicate this is not a new problem. Golden has had ample opportunities to make whatever changes he feels would address the crime situation at his club. There is no evidence that anything he has tried has worked to this point and no guarantee that further measures will put an end to the atmosphere that seems to prevail at his club.
We recognize that bars, nightclubs and restaurants are going to have incidents that require police involvement on occasion — a popular chain restaurant on Highway 45 was the site of another shooting death in 2014. Put a large group of people in one place, mix liberally with alcohol and trouble will sometimes result.
Club Hiedi Ho has proven to be a site of many disturbances and a drain on police resources; the city has an obligation to step in on behalf of the community.
There has been some talk the council may adopt new rules that govern these kinds of establishments, but the council should carefully consider the impact of the new rules before applying them universally to ensure that the innocent are not punished along with the guilty.
Before addressing the problem through any change in ordinances, the council should answer one basic question: Is what has been happening at Club Hiedi Ho indicative of a larger, more widespread issue as it relates to the clubs, bars and restaurants that operate in the city? Or is it a unique case?
If it is the latter, the solution the city pursues should focus on the club and how it operates.
Certainly, the club has had innumerable chances to fix this problem. To date, any efforts to that end have failed.
In the best interests of the community, the city’s response should be a final, emphatic “Hiedi No!”
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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