SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KCBS) -- Police officers in Santa Cruz are trying to crack down on a recent rise in high-profile crimes downtown, and they think part of the problem may be restaurants that illegally transform themselves into nightclubs.
Santa Cruz Police Spokesman Zach Friend says some clubs are actually zoned as restaurants, but on the weekends they clear out the tables, pump up the music and continue serving alcohol. Friend says this phenomenon is illegal, and it\'s contributing to some of the violence downtown.
KCBS' Matt Bigler reports
Police are cracking down on these "clubs" following a string of high-profile crimes: a deadly stabbing, a double shooting and a rape last month. Linda, the head bartender at the Asti says some of her customers have experienced recent violence.
"A whole group of guys got out of one car and bashed out all the windows and another car right next to them in broad daylight," she said.
But she says the problem isn't the alcohol.
"I think it's the gangs," she said. "We don't have hardly any problems down at this bar."
The city council is dedicating an entire session next week to public safety downtown.
(ewi)
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