READING, Pa. — It looks like a bar, but police say this is something else. A black market of bars. Illegal, unlicensed, and in some cases, dangerous.
“We want building owners to use the buildings as intended,” said Jack Gombach, managing director for the City of Reading.
So now, the city is stepping in. An ordinance introduced on Monday would give police, fire, and codes officials more power to shut these places down.
“To really go after public nuisances, specifically after hours clubs and bars and pop-up bars,” Gombach said.
Officials say many violent crimes in Reading start at these gatherings.
“The common thread… they’ve all started at these after hours bars,” Gombach added.
Police say these aren’t regulated businesses. They’re popping up in homes, garages, even vacant buildings.
“I’m talking about a completely unpermitted, unlawful operation with absolutely no oversight,” said Reading Police Deputy Chief Aaron Demko. “We’re seeing shootings, we’re seeing robberies, we’re seeing stabbings.”
Police say they’ve identified between 15 and 20 locations across the city. And they’re hard to stop.
“They advertise this stuff on various social media groups,” Demko said. “They might have 500 to 700 people engage in these advertisements or posts before they even occur.”
And fire officials say this is also about safety.
“I’ve been in this office for over 10 years… so I know what a building is. I know what that building use group is,” said Fire Marshal Jeremy Searfoss. “And when I walk in and I see 200 people, this is not that… that’s an egregious violation of the fire code that requires immediate action for us.”