City Won’t Let Bounce Host Dances at Center

Bounce Underage Nightclub will not be able to host dances for teens at the Neighborhood Community Center this summer.

Requests by the club to sponsor events in June and July were denied Monday by the City Council after officials reviewed police reports of disturbances and attendance by suspected gang members at four events in the past two years at the Park Avenue community center.

Costa Mesa Police Lt. Alan Kent said that suspected gang members were spotted at Bounce events and that two assaults were reported by a security guard and a teen patron.

Many patrons dressed in gang attire, made gang signs and had license plates on their cars indicating that they came from Los Angeles, Long Beach and other areas out of the communities, Kent said.

Police also said they dispersed a large group of teenagers who loitered at a gas station after one of the dances.

The City Council reviewed a letter from police in Irvine, where previous dances took place, that referred to reports of minors loitering, littering and consuming alcohol in the parking lot.

Bounce owners, however, told the council that safety is a high priority and denied the allegations by police. They said they check patrons for weapons, liquor and drugs at the door and do not knowingly admit gang members.

“We’ve been good tenants in all of our locations,” promoter Chris Curto said.

Three patrons also told the council that the club is safe.

That did not sway the City Council, however. After learning about the complaints, City Councilman Gary Monahan called for a review.

“Club Bounce brings problems to our city and doesn’t belong here,” he said.