WARREN 77 Soul laments violence outside

The security guards do not have guns or arrest powers, the club owner said.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The owner of a popular nightclub says he is not sure what he can do to stop the violence that happens in the parking lot.
Over the past several months, police have been called to 77 Soul for complaints of gunfire and fights.
On Saturday, Antwan Anderson, no age available, of Youngstown, was arrested on one count of discharging a firearm. Police say he fired the gun in the club's parking lot. No one was injured.
Anderson pleaded innocent Monday in municipal court and is free on bond.
"As far as I can tell, this guy didn't even come inside the club," said LaShawn Ziegler, owner of 77 Soul, which is on U.S. Route 422. "What I was told was that there was some argument going on and it got brought to this parking lot."
Security measures
Ziegler said he is considering having people in the lot assigning patrons parking spaces, but he is not sure if that will help. A security firm from Akron is hired to patrol the parking lot, but Ziegler fears the guards are not being taken seriously.
"They don't have guns or arrest powers," Ziegler said. "I wanted to hire the city police or the sheriff's department to provide security, but they told me they aren't allowed to work off duty here."
Police Chief John Mandopoulos and Sheriff Thomas Altiere said that because of the departments' insurance carriers, officers are not able to provide security at liquor establishments.
"If we provided security at bars, we wouldn't be covered," Altiere said.
Mandopoulos noted that during the spring, the mayor had asked for several officers to patrol the lot, but the chief said he can no longer provide that service.
"One, we just don't have the people to do that," the chief said.
Also, a videotape made of police conduct in the parking lot showed Mandopoulos and patrolman Manny Nites mugging for the camera. The mayor has recommended to the city's civil service commission that the chief be disciplined for his actions at the club. The CSC is expected to meet on the matter in the next few days.
The chief has said he and Nites were only joking. Nites can be heard on the tape calling the man a snitch. At one point on the tape, Nites repeats vulgar words that were stated by a club patron.
"When we went there before, everyone thought it was terrible about what happened because we were joking," Mandopoulos said.
sinkovich@vindy.com