A former Augusta teen nightclub has moved across the river and seems to have taken many of its problems with it.
No signs herald Club Fusion's presence on Jefferson Davis Highway in North Augusta. During daylight hours, the Riverfront Antique Mall shopping center looks exactly like what it is: an antique mall and a large parking lot.
On Friday and Saturday nights, however, the area takes on a new life, and law enforcement agencies are not happy about it.
Nearly every weekend, North Augusta Public Safety officers and the Aiken County Sheriff's Office are called to handle disorder at the club. In many cases, the disturbances have the potential to turn violent.
"We are weekly having a large crowd over there, with shots-fired calls, fights, car break-ins (and) weapons violations," Sheriff Michael Hunt said.
Police responded at 12:15 a.m. Sunday after a woman reportedly called in a bomb threat, causing officers from public safety, the sheriff's office and the South Carolina Highway Patrol to evacuate the club. Nothing was found, but as everyone was being evacuated, gunshots were heard in the parking lot, according to a police report.
The parking lot and the building are within the North Augusta city limits, but Greg's Gas Plus and a section of property behind the shopping center fall into county jurisdiction, said North Augusta Police Chief John Thomas.
The safety problems are the same ones that plagued Club Platinum in Augusta. Five shootings and a murder led to Augusta commissioners' decision to close the place in February.
The owners, Warren Johnson and Rakeim McMorris, moved operations across the river in May. They bill the new place as Club Fusion.
The business license was issued for a banquet and reception facility, said North Augusta licensing clerk Christine James.
If the club charges a cover, they would be in violation of their license, she said. Teenagers who frequent the club said it costs $5 to get in on a regular night and $10 if there is a party or live performance.
Mayor Lark Jones said he met Thursday with Chief Thomas, city attorney Kelly Zier and City Administrator Sam Bennett to discuss the club.
Mr. Jones said Ms. Zier is looking into whether the business license is legal. He said the city will not tolerate a club that continues to have problems with violence.
"We're just not going to let that happen in North Augusta," he said.
The owners did not return calls for comment.
In the five months since the club opened, North Augusta Public Safety has recorded 29 incidents, most of which occurred in the parking lot.
"The volume of people is a problem," said Lt. Tim Pearson, a public safety spokesman.
He estimated 200 to 300 people ages 16 and older attend the club each night it's open.
When officers arrive in response to a call, the crowd disperses quickly and in many cases in an unsafe manner, such as making illegal U-turns and driving in the wrong lanes. A call to break up a fight Oct. 18 led to more than 300 cars trying to leave the parking lot at once, according to an incident report. Officers reported "one deputy's patrol vehicle in the middle of the crowd," the report said, then officers heard gunshots coming from the area near Greg's Gas Plus on U.S. Highway 1.
Weapons have been involved in at least six incidents, according to police reports.
"It puts officers in a situation where the potential is great for violence," Chief Thomas said.
Often, incidents at the club spill over into other areas of the county.
Chief Thomas and Sheriff Hunt said they are working together to try to find a solution. But the first line of defense against crime should be the owner, they said.
"We're not going to keep tolerating this conduct spilling over," Sheriff Hunt said.
Despite public safety's concerns, 16-year-old Secorya Overstreet said she feels safe hanging out at the club.
"Yes, it can get rough, but only if you hang with those kind of people," she said. "I think you are safe on the inside and outside because they have police outside, and they don't let you just hang around."
Staff Writer Jonathan Overstreet contributed to this article
Reach Lisa Kaylor at lisa.kaylor@northaugustatoday.com.
POLICE CALLS TO CLUB FUSION
May 10 through Nov. 6:
Disorders 5
Trespassing after notice 1
Larceny of motor vehicle 2
Assist other authority 3
Breaking into motor vehicle 3
Simple assault and battery 3
Simple possession of marijuana 1
Unlawful carrying of a pistol 1
Vandalism 2
Suspicious activity/person 2
Confiscated firearms 1
Violation of noise ordinance 1
Weapons offense 1
Discharging firearm 3
Total arrests 8
Medical calls 1
Source: Lt. Tim Pearson, North Augusta Department of Public Safety
Comments
Teen club. Great classification. Start charging the owner for every call involving every taxpayer paid employee and every call to surrounding areas that are menaced by the club's clientele. The rules will soon change or the club will leave. Soon, the delay in bringing this club under control will lead to a death.
I was a bit of a trouble maker when I was young and "just having fun". The way the police managed to change our hanging habits was to preempt our arrival at our favorite spots, and anyone that showed up ran a great risk of being ticketed for things like, not using a turn signal, worn tires. Not coming to a full stop etc... The search that ALWAYS followed usually took care of the alcohol, drugs and other items of interest to teens. After a while, we figured out it wasn't worth it. The shame is an adult is making money off of this chaos. I think you have a good point, Whip. Haul his butt into court a few times a month and he might see the need to change his business practices... or location.
High time for a Chronic Nuisance Proprietor Ordinance.. ahahahaha.
WHY is a "teen club" needed, anyway? Do parents not realize/care what must go on at these things? Or do they use them as a nighttime babysitter so they can be at home "getting it on" themselves? I went through my teenage years (within the past decade) in the Augusta area, and I managed to have a good time just hanging out with friends, mostly at each other's houses -- not doing drugs and booty dancing and who knows what else!
this is not activities! this is a club where thug teens go and party! They drink and do drugs, fight, steal. some club.. Dont put your rose color glasses on just yet. The young people there are rude and dangerous. regular punks!
they are imitating exactly what their parents did...
Justus, the problem is most of them are leaches off the taxpayer! They don't pay any taxes, they just benefit form everyone else paying them.. The real taxpayers kids aren't allowed to hang out there to become baby mama's and baby daddy's!!
Justus, take a look at the list of police calls. Is that what you call "kids will be kids"? Taxpayers dollars don't provide things for teens to do. Parents do. If they don't, then kids end up going to places like this club. Understand the list is of police calls. That's when someone calls the police... That makes it law enforcement. What is your solution? Wait until there are five more shootings and another murder? Then folks will be yelling, "Why didn't the police do anything?". That's not freedom. Its chaos, something I am happy to pay the police to avoid.
It's a perfect place to send your children so they can get a jump start on building their own rap sheet. Maybe just one day they'll be able to meet their daddy in person, face to face in the same cell.
i feel very confident na public safety will put a stop to this mess one way or another. Yes it would be great if teens had a safe place to go and do things that are legal but this club has proven that is not the case. It appears to me the club was misleading on the business license. I am sure there are all sorts of building code violations in there as well. Club owner be fair warned north augusta doesn't play; teens same goes for you.
Nothing to do? Let's see: Hunting, Fishing, Football, Basket Ball, Jogging, Bicycling, Tennis, Hiking, Cooking, Mowing Lawns, A JOB!, studying, learn a trade.
This won't last long in North Augusta. We like our quiet little town and our wonderful police force will make this a prime spot for our patrol cars. Wonder how much ticket revenue will come from this spot until the owners feel compelled to move?
Go get 'em Kelly! I have a feeling that the business license will be revoked later this week. Banquet and Reception my big hairy BUTT!
I live in North Augusta and on many Friday and Saturday nights I pass this club on the way back home where I live. A few nights I just made a detour into the parking lot just to see what type of club occupied the building space. From what I saw I can assure you that these folks were alot older than "teens" just from what I saw getting out of their cars and those in line. All I can say is if this place continues to create problems then close it down.
Hey justus...what do you want to bet that the City will find a reason to close that illegal thug-fest down..??('The business license was issued for a banquet and reception facility,')"....this is not Augusta and we don't play with the thugs like ya'll do over there.......
ms zier is a mister
That's right Andy Warhol, plus reading, babysitting, seeing a movie, visiting relatives, going out to dinner with parents, yes there's plenty to keep teenagers occupied if the parents insist on the right activities. And others are correct that NA won't put up with this as long as ARC did.
From the name of the "club" and the "activities" goin on, I just bet that is a WHITE club huh? LOL............ The remark about society is ridiculous. That is not society, that is thugs at it's best. I say go after the ownners for any disturbances. They lied about what the "club" was being used for. Again, typical for that crowd.
Who owns that building and antique mall? I say go after them as well. They know what is going on. Let them clean up their own front yard.
The girl in the article feels safe because the 'police are outside'?! The police have better things to do than baby-sit a night-club parking lot! And yes, they should also go after the owner of the building. They cannot claim ignorance if the police have made that many calls to the parking lot already.
Teens complain when they have no place to go to have fun. Well, here is why there are not very many places available to them, teen behavior. Learn the rules of the society, the sooner, the better. The police have better things to do than "baby sit" teens. Having fun does not include lawlessness.
North Augusta needs to shut down this place immediately. It's bad enough sex offenders from GA are moving into the area. North Augusta does NOT need yet another gathering place for violence and illegal weapons/drugs. This side of North Augusta is getting extremely dangerous. If teens need a place to hang out, they can do so at each other's homes under parental supervision. Let the parents take on the responsibility of the actions of their teens as it should be.
justus4, these thugs are just like the cockroaches that infest the houses where they live... And yes I said houses because most of them don't know what a home is! Law enforcement can spray and they just scramble like the societal vermin they are... Why dont you take them under your wing and teach them your philosophy since you know so much!! I bet not one of the weapons they carry are the least bit legal!!!!
This place doesn't "START" getting busy until after 11 p.m and stays open until whatever time in the early morning hours. Why isn't there a curfew for these "TEENS".
Andywahrol. Who among that crowd really knows who their daddt was? Heck they may be trying to pick-up their own sister. Maybe thats why they call each other brother ans sister, because daddy was playing around in another part of town or another city, that no one knew about. BTW if the police were really concerned, they would use Robbies suggestions which make a lot of sense. But the problem is like mudd, stomp a hole in one place and the mudd rises somewhere else. Maybe what we need is to pass out free amunition and let these dregs of society correct their own problem.
They complain about never having anything to do, or anywhere to go. If folks would just act like they have some sense then there would be no need to even think about closing the place down. How hard is it to go somewhere, enjoy yourself, and go home without fighting, stealing, or killing? It seems like it's very hard for our youth. The owners obviously only care about money, and not safety.
Sounds as if North Augusta could benefit from a Chronic Nuisance Property Ordinance.
They have to have a license to operate. Take the license.
They have to have a license to operate. Take the license.
disssman, I was wondering when someone was going to point that out. Some may call your comment racist, but it's a sad fact for many children in this area. Speak with any social worker, they'll tell you most of these women don't know who the father is either.
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