Club FUZE is the next venue on the Downtown stakeholders’ list of night clubs identified as hosting recurring criminal activity. A letter was sent on behalf of several Downtown stakeholders (including DANA, Capital Metro, and multiple residential buildings) to Don Garner, the owner of 505 Neches where Club FUZE is located. According to the letter:
“In the past year the criminal activity inside and surrounding Club Fuze has escalated considerably. Reports obtained from the Austin Police Department data base reveal a serious escalation of violence, public drunkenness, prostitution, and illegal drug activity both in the club and on the adjoining street.”
The letter goes on to state,
“The club’s dangerous and illegal activities have reached the point that visitors are now being warned to not walk down Neches during peak club hours, hotel guests are being encouraged to avoid the area, and local residents have been forced to avoid the area and to warn their friends to not park near the club.”
Part of the challenge for the Police is coping with venues that have recurring problems. According to data found at Krimelabb.com you might want to avoid club FUZE and the area around it. Below is a list of criminal activity inside or in front of FUZE in December.
- 2008-3432326 2008-12-08 POSS OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA
- 2008-3360157 2008-12-01 AGG ASSAULT
- 2008-3360157 2008-12-01 CUSTODY ARREST TRAFFIC WARR
- 2008-3500238 2008-12-15 DISTURBANCE/OTHER
- 2008-3360157 2008-12-01 ASSAULT W/INJURY-FAM/DATE VIOL
- 2008-3371894 2008-12-02 POSS OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA
- 2008-3550403 2008-12-20 UIPP
- 2008-3382492 2008-12-03 PEDESTRIAN ON ROADWAY
- 2008-3360157 2008-12-01 POSS MARIJUANA
- 2008-3360157 2008-12-01 FAILURE TO IDENTIFY
- 2008-3360157 2008-12-01 VIOL OF EMERG PROTECTIVE ORDER
- 2008-3361590 2008-12-01 PUBLIC INTOXICATION
- 2008-3361590 2008-12-01 REQUEST TO APPREHEND
Citizen stakeholders have recently been successful in purging the neighborhood of offending night clubs. Last month, Tim Finley, the owner of the building housing Club Paradox and Club Planeta, was urged to clean up his tenant’s act after discussions with residents, police, hotels, and the convention center. After years of increasing crime and violence in and around clubs Paradox and Planeta, it was clear to Tim Finley that change was needed. He terminated their lease.
Club fuse needs to go. it is a dangerous place and makes the City of Austin look bad. All the thugs and trashy females that frequent that place should not have a place to hang out down town because they are too out of control. They have no one to blame but themselves for the mistrust and concern that the general public have towards them. I feel that black clubs tend to attract a more thugish type of crowd that makes them unapealling to anyone.
Yes, Spiros is known as one of the most offending clubs. As to Spiro’s management having ties to Austin city employees or police, that is pure speculation.
Thank you for the long post, and please continue to contribute to the blog! Know that downtown stakeholders have been successful in removing violent night clubs, and we will are optimistic that Downtown Area Command, city staff, and landlords will make the right decisions for the benefit of the city.
My daughter was slipped something in her drink @ Headhunters last weekend. According to several people we have spoken with, this is a recurring problem @ Lovejoy’s also & other clubs downtown. They are drugging female patrons who are alone & robbing them later.
I’ve just found your blog and am wondering if anything has been said about Spiro’s on Red River? My husband works at True Blue next door and they and anyone walking down the street are completely subjected to harassment by employees and club goers. There are fights nightly, drug deals, and even stabbings. My husband has seen women running out of there with gashes on their foreheads. Riots start at the end of the night on a weekly basis and the cops just ride there bikes on by until the crowd has cleared some, then they stop and try to control the situation. One of my husband’s coworkers was unfortunately caught up in one of these and was severely beaten. There are women that work late night at this shop and are afraid to leave at night, usually calling a friend for an escort to their car. Anyone working on this block feels that Spiro’s management has ties to Austin city employees. Any complaint they make with the city, Spiro’s knows about immediately and tries to do damage control with the businesses. I apologize for the long post but am impressed with this blog and feel this might be the right forum to voice a concern. Maybe someone can go one step more than what we have tried to do. Thanks!