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ment was responsive to recommendations, except for Scab’s.”

She suggested a license suspension until more action is taken by Scab’s owner, Al Schickling.

“It’s his feeling that the people that were fighting were not even in his establishment,” said Alderperson Thomas Oss about a fight that broke out last weekend in the street. “The doors were already shut and they came from down the street. There is a loss of trust between business owners and Prescott police.”

The council talked about shortening hours, as it did during COVID spikes, or suspending the licenses. To do that, however, a public hearing must be held, City Administrator Jayne Brand said.

“There is no reason to deny these tonight,” Brand said. “But this is the point where you explain the issues (to the bar owners) and consequences.”

“I don’t care where the drinking started,” Hintz said. “If you can’t take action inside or outside your property, it’s your responsibility.”

In a police report from June 27, a female bartender told police she shouldn’t have to call police when fights break out, because she believes they should be downtown at bar close anyway. Council members disagreed; often, police may be needed elsewhere in the city at that time.

“Police should not need to be there if proprietors are managing things,” said Alderperson Pat Knox.

Hintz said for her, the difference is that Two Rivers and No Name have security, while Scab’s does not.

“I really encouraged Al to invest in some security,” Hintz said. “He said ‘Our bartender is our security.’” “I’m at a loss,” said Alderperson Bailey Ruona. “It’s getting to a point, what the hell do we do? I’m getting to the point that I don’t want to go down there.”

She suggested the city invest in security cameras on public property, namely sidewalks and in back of businesses for root cause analysis, to see where people are coming from.

Oss said it’s imperative the city doesn’t move hastily. He would like to see an incremental system, with clear steps and consequences spelled out for bar owners.

“I believe we have to be very careful about issues that are occurring out on the street,” Oss said. “We are inviting lawsuits if we start blaming establishments and we need to reestablish trust with the bar owners.”

He said many bars are not making 911 calls or sharing video evidence with PPD after PPD requested film from No Name, then ended up charging one of their bouncers with felony assault.

Mayor David Hovel said that charge was absolutely legitimate.

“They’ve got to understand, we’re here to protect the community not their employees,” Hovel said.

Hintz said she’s lost trust in the bar owners, because it doesn’t seem like they’re trying to work with the city. Ruona called their actions “completely negligent.”

Brand said Police Chief Eric Michaels has called Pierce County Sheriff’s Office for assistance. They respond when they are able, but can’t always make it.

“Eric’s just beside himself,” Brand said. “He doesn’t know what to do.”

Altercations

Michaels told The Journal the altercations are consistent.

“Basically, the altercations happen every weekend, both Friday and Saturday nights,” Michaels said. “Typically, they happen right outside the establishments, they're not always inside. Basically, what we're doing is we've had a meeting with them (bar owners), tried to brainstorm ways that we can get this under control, and spoken with them about over-serving. Also having people at the door to maybe not permit the severely intoxicated individuals from coming inside the bar. Some establishments have been very receptive to it. Some of them haven't.”

According to a PPD crime log, here are the incidents:

•9:11 p.m. Jan. 9, assault, Two Rivers/Boat Drinks (117 Broad St.)

•1:09 a.m. Jan. 10, fight in progress, Scab’s (145 Broad St.)

•2:26 a.m. Feb. 7, fight in progress, Two Rivers

•1:22 a.m. Feb. 13, fight in progress, No Name/Monkey Bar (114 Broad St.)

•1:02 a.m. Feb. 20, fight in progress, Two Rivers

•1:20 a.m. March 13, disorderly conduct, Two Rivers

•2 a.m. March 28, fight in progress, Broad Street / began at Scab’s

•1:07 a.m. April 2, fight in progress, Scab’s

•6:04 p.m. April 6, disorderly conduct, Scab’s (145 Broad St.)

•11:20 p.m. May 1, domestic, Two Rivers

•1:45 a.m. May 8, fight in progress, No Name

•12:48 a.m. May 9, fight in progress, No Name

•1:36 a.m. May 9, assault, Two Rivers

•12:04 a.m. May 10, assault, No Name

•2:07 a.m. May 15, fight in progress, Two Rivers

•2:11 a.m. May 15, fight in progress, Scab’s

•3:23 a.m. May 16, fight in progress, Scab’s

•9:21 p.m. May 16, assault, Scab’s

•11:16 p.m. May 28, disorderly conduct, Two Rivers

•1:54 a.m. May 30, fight in progress, Two Rivers

•9:01 p.m. May 31, unwanted subject, Two Rivers

•11:33 p.m. June 5, unwanted subject, Scab’s

•1:02 a.m. June 12, unwanted subject, Two Rivers

•11:52 p.m. June 11, domestic, Two Rivers

•12:39 a.m. June 13, assault, Two Rivers

•2:19 a.m. June 13, disorderly conduct, Two Rivers

•2:27 a.m. June 13, fight in progress, Two Rivers

•3:34 a.m. June 13, assault, Two Rivers

•4:50 a.m. June 25, sex assault, Broad/Orange streets

•2:05 p.m. June 26, disorderly conduct, Two Rivers

•2:25 a.m. June 27, assault, Two Rivers PPD also had an agent from the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation speak with the establishments’ owners on over-serving and de-escalating altercations, said Michaels. Brand said she thinks that might have fostered more distrust from bar owners.

“This is the tough part,” Brand said. “This is their living. Why are they not protecting their living? Trust was lost when the man from the state was here. The bar owners did not want to be questioned.”

She added that bartenders who don’t report fights or call police should be cited.

Prior to the June 28 council meeting, Matthew Hoerning, a co-owner of Two Rivers told The Journal how his establishment is trying to lessen the number of altercations.

“We've purchased radios for all the other late-night bars in town so that they can communicate with us,” Hoerning said. “We're putting 10 security guards on every Friday and Saturday night. We brought in security from outside, some of our best people from other locations we own. We have started a text thread with all the other bars in town. So anytime somebody gets cut off or asked to leave our premises, we send a description of that person to every bar so that hopefully their door guys already know as they walk up to go through another bar.”

Two Rivers opened in Prescott April 12; fights, incidents or arrests, usually outside the establishment, have been noted in PPD reports every week since opening.

“I felt like because we're the new place we're under a microscope. We're larger than any place that's been open in Prescott ever, maybe besides Muddy Waters. But we have taken some serious steps to try and actually be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem,” said Hoerning. Council members were careful to note June 28, that Two Rivers might have more police calls because their staff is willing to call police for help.

“We’re keeping track of where the bar fights are taking place, not to ding those places, because we don’t know where they come from,” Hintz said.

If the council follows through with suspending any liquor license, the suspensions will likely only last for a day or two, according to Hovel.

“We are concerned,” Hovel said in a separate interview. “So we were asking the owners, are you taking the responsibility as much as anybody else to make sure you control the patrons? It seems that the owners are working together, but then every now and again it seems the bartenders may be over-serving or people are just coming in that bad to begin with.”

This time last year when Minnesota had stricter COVID-19 restrictions than Wisconsin, many Minnesotans were jumping over the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers to go to border town bars. Even with restrictions lifted in both states, Minnesotans are still frequent patrons in Prescott bars and often identified in altercations.

“The majority are from Minnesota but that's not an excuse, even though people like to use that as an excuse,” said Michaels.

Even though altercations continue to frequent the Prescott bar scene each weekend, the communication thread between Two Rivers and the other late-night bars in their text chain have helped lessen the number of altercations, Hoerning felt. “I feel like we have been very effective at identifying problems and getting them outside of our building,” said Hoerning. “Unfortunately, once something is outside of our building, we don't have a lot of authority to do much beyond that, right? And if we tried to do much beyond that, then we are putting ourselves in a complicated situation.”

“A couple of bars got together and they're working on a call group, where if they have an issue with somebody, they take that individual's picture, and then they send it out to all the local bar owners and their security people. But like I said, you know, not, not every business or establishment down there is on board with this,” said Michaels. “The other thing is I know that whoever's got more security people, the more effective they’ll be. I know Two Rivers. I think it's Smiling Moose in Hudson, it's the same owner, you know, and they do that up there and it seems to work really well for them. No Name has got more security and door people. And I don't know about Scabs.”

The council also voted June 28 to purchase security cameras for downtown / Broad Street and other public areas where incidents have happened. It also greenlighted police overtime for the coming weekend. The 1 a.m. bar time will stand as long as the council feels there is an emergency need up to 30 days, at which time it will meet with bar owners and decide whether or not to permanently change the bar closing time ordinance.

“Cutting the hours back will be the biggest way to reach them,” Alderperson Robert Daugherty said.

Oss voted against the bar close change, though he supported the cameras purchase and police overtime.

“This is last minute and draconian,” he said.

Signs will be posted on Broad Street advising the public that they are under surveillance. An installation time will be posted in the future.

The Journal reached out to No Name’s and Scab’s owners, but they did not respond.

Photo by Sarah Nigbor