Prince George’s County officials say the laws regulating dance hall licenses have lacked the teeth needed to stamp out violence and shut down venues where homicides frequently occur. Unlike laws governing alcoholic beverage licenses in the District, which allow the ABC Board to suspend or revoke licenses after violent incidents at bars and clubs, law and code enforcement officials in Prince George have been unable to take action against dance halls.
“We’ve dealt with this issue for so long, and it’s so frustrating from a law enforcement standpoint,” said Acting Police Chief Mark Magaw. “We have homicides occur at these locations time and time again and we can’t do something about it.”
A bill sponsored by Councilwoman Karen Toles, D-Capitol Heights, would give officials legal authority similar to that of the ABC Board. A board comprised of officials from the police and fire departments, as well as the Department of Environmental Resources, would have more opportunities to go after violent establishments, she said.
If an incident occurred at a dance hall, the board could hold a hearing within 72 hours to determine if the venue’s dance license should be suspended or revoked, either on a permanent or temporary basis.
“We accept all business in Prince George’s County,” Toles said. “We just have standards that now we are going to follow.”
