Prince George's Council Cracks Down On County Dance Halls

TEMPLE HILLS, Md. (AP) -- The Prince George's County Council has passed an emergency bill designed to shut down dance venues that have a reputation for violent crime.

The legislation, which passed by a unanimous vote on Tuesday, is intended to make owners, promoters and others involved with security at music venues in the county more responsible for violence occurring around them.

Police say 61 deaths have occurred at or been linked to county dance halls since 2005 and at least six homicides have been directly related to county dance halls.

Doc Hayes, who owns the Club Elite in Temple Hills, tells The Washington Examiner that county officials didn't work with business owners on how to make nightclubs and the surrounding neighborhoods safer.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)