Clay County Board of supervisors makes new rules for club owners
WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – Coming into Monday morning’s board of supervisors meeting, Clay County leaders knew they needed to make some quick changes to a nightclub ordinance.
They believe it can keep people and reduce crime.
Lynn Horton, Clay County District 1 Supervisor, said this was the best way to try and decrease some of the crime.
“We are trying to make sure that the club owners and clubgoers understand that we are trying to keep them safe, and not trying to deprive them of having fun,” said Horton. “Some of the rules that we had in place were not stiff enough, and we are trying to make sure that we are having everything in place to keep large gatherings safe.”
Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said the new ordinance has several changes for clubs. The changes include no face coverings inside, good quality cameras, and a limit on how many people can be in the club at once.
“The ordinance is just beefing up some, but the club owner is going to be responsible if something happens. Also, if a promoter comes in, they will also be responsible if something happens,” said Scott.
The new ordinance does not apply to only the Oasis Lounge, it is for every nightclub in the area to ensure the safety of all people.
“You have to be fair to everyone, and this ordinance we have now was passed in 2021. You have to go in there and change it as time goes, and the situation that happened the other night just brought it to the light. You had 14 security guards there and you still had this happen. As the government, we have to do our part to make sure people are safe, and we have to work with these club owners to promote safety and keep the people safe that come there to enjoy themselves,” said Scott.
Scott knows how important security is to clubs. He said when choosing security for your nightclub, there is a level of training they should have.
“The people there want to feel safe. They want to know that the security is ones that are trained if something were to happen. We definitely encourage our club owners to make sure your security is good. Because just because they have ‘security’ written on their shirts, does not mean they will do what they are supposed to do,” said Scott.
The Clay County Board of Supervisors will meet again on March 28 to discuss permit costs club owners could have to pay.
