The DeKalb Police Department is gearing up for this weekend after a brawl erupted outside of the Dungeon early Saturday morning.

Lt. Jim Kayes said his department is concerned about the security of Huskie Derby after-parties that will be held Friday and Saturday at the Dungeon. Kayes is frustrated over the history of security problems at the club.

The Dungeon, 1027 W. Hillcrest Drive, which opened three months ago, has seen its share of problems.

Fights broke out during its opening weekend in October. On Nov. 10, shots were fired on Greek Row that were linked to patrons of the Dungeon. This past weekend, football player Al Chaires was arrested for fighting on the premises, according to police.

For area police and city officials, these episodes spark interest in a city ordinance regarding teen clubs. The Dungeon is a teen club that is alcohol-free and open to those 18 and older.

The ordinance, written years ago when other, short-lived clubs frequented DeKalb, recently was modified to include the club owner’s responsibilities. It also gives reasons to suspend or revoke a club’s license.

Club owners are responsible for preventing loitering and public nuisances on club premises and the immediate vicinity. Licenses could be suspended or revoked if there is a significant increase in action at the club which warrants police response, according to the ordinance.

The ordinance states that there must be one qualified security guard for every 25 patrons on the premises. At full capacity of 500, this means David Hana, the owner of the Dungeon, would have to employ 20 security guards.

Hana said he is not sure if he had 20 qualified guards this past weekend when the club was at full capacity, but also said he is working closely with the police about the possibility of having a car patrol the area for added security, since most problems occur outside the club in the parking lot.

Kayes confirmed that the DeKalb Police Department, Hana and the owner of the property on which the Dungeon sits, all have entered an agency agreement, which grants authority to the police department to arrest trespassers on behalf of the owner.

For Friday and Saturday events, no people will be permitted to sit in cars in the parking lot of the Dungeon, Kayes said.

Those loitering in the parking lot either should be going into the Dungeon, in line to enter the Dungeon or going to the restaurant nearby. Any person not doing either of those three will be asked by officers to leave the premises and will be arrested if they do not comply, Kayes said.

When questioned about the concern with the Dungeon hosting the after-parties for the 4th annual Huskie Derby, Kayes cited the marred history of the Derby. Three people were shot in January 2001 after the 2nd annual Huskie Derby, surviving only by “sheer luck,” Kayes said.

Ronnie Blanchard, promoter for the Huskie Derby, said past events that happened during the Huskie Derby weekends were only by coincidence and would like to encourage people of all races to participate in the events. Blanchard asks for respectable behavior from those who attend any of the events for this kick-off weekend for Black History Month.

Blanchard, along with B.R.O.T.H.E.R.S, an SA-recognized group, has enlisted a group of security guards from a private agency out of Chicago to prevent any events that would portray the Huskie Derby negatively. The security agency employs off-duty police officers, private bodyguards and members of the Cook County Sheriff’s Department who will safeguard all events planned for the weekend.

“We will have security in full force,” Blanchard said.

The future of the Dungeon, however, may depend on this weekend’s events as a meeting with the city manager is being planned to discuss the club’s license in light of the city ordinance.

“Our concern is conservation of public peace,” Kayes said.