I recently talked with Lt. Corey Darlington, the sector commander whose territory includes downtown, about Brick City and the friction with its neighbors. It sounds like the police really don’t see much of a problem there. Here are some of the highlights from our conversation.

About working with Brick City on security:

We’ve been working with them from the very beginning. This is nothing new to us. We have a pretty good working relationship with them.

On the overall situation:

We feel we have an acceptable level of public safety in that area. The calls for service are certainly manageable and not excessive. We do have some flare-ups every once in a while.

We haven’t had any issues on Friday (since the shooting). We’ve had one or two incidents on Saturday night because they don’t have any off-duty officers – that’s one reason.

He says it’s the nature of the business:

I don’t care if it’s a club that serves liquor to of-age people or if it’s an underage teen club. It’s the nature of the business. There will be spinoff activity on the sidewalks, groups of people just hanging out. There will be some degree of nuisance activity.

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Here are some of the highlights from my conversation with Deanna Neidlinger, the Brick City project manager.

She said claims of out-of-control teens are out of control and defended the club’s security:

We have two police officers that are hired at our own personal expense every Friday night outside. Everyone knows right now that there are a lot of challenges about stress and challenges concerning resources available to them. So the fact we hire two police officers here every week, that means we’re bringing in extra security that might not have been on location. One of our agreements

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Just got out of a meeting with Marty Campbell, the chair of the New Tacoma neighborhood council. He, like many of the business owners who neighbor the Brick City building on Pacific Ave., praised the work done at the all-ages club but questioned if it was the best location for it.

Among the highlights of our hour-long conversation:

They have a right to downtown. And if this wasn’t in the middle of what I think should be one of our top bar districts and entertainment districts, then, well, an all-ages club just doesn’t fit into that.

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The small-business owners across the street from the Brick City building at 754 Pacific Ave. have been complaining about illegal activity. Because the Tacoma Police Department puts their statistics on the Web, we can look up crime stats for this year.

I should point out that (obviously) not all crime in a particular area is related to any business, club, residence or anything else on there. And (again, obviously) not all crime goes reported. And the police release statistics to within a half-mile radius, so that means large parts of other neighborhoods are included — especially in a compact neighborhood like downtown. And it shows that police aren’t making many arrests.

(Depending on what side you’re on, that means either it’s becoming a safe neighborhood or the police aren’t doing their job.)

So, as imperfect of a barometer as it is, here are some of the year-to-date stats though August. I included the ones many people have been saying the clubbers are committing and omitted others, like warrants arrests:

But as more businesses (and high-priced condos) move into the area, is it getting safer? As much as I hate to ask questions in my writing (I’m in the business of answering them, after all), I’ll have percentage increases and decreases after the jump.

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OK, I kind of dropped the ball on getting y’all plenty of good video and photos, but I did shoot a short video of what it’s like outside the club just before 10 p.m. I was there for about 30 minutes Saturday, and the crowd size swelled and dwindled, and the noise levels fluctuated as well.

Here’s the video:

With all the complaints I had been hearing about the clubs at Brick City, I decided to check it out for myself Saturday. There were definitely a bunch of people hanging outside Club Impact. In the time I was there, the crowd fluctuated from about 30 to more than 50 people.

The music was definitely pretty loud outside, but I personally didn’t see anything illegal (other than a couple of people throwing a football in the street). Earlier Saturday evening, though, a reader e-mailed me a photo of someone urinating in the alley next to the club.

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I’ve talked to a few more business owners who are, to say the least, not happy with the crowds outside Brick City. I’m heading out there tonight and tomorrow to check it out myself. Here are some of their comments.

Sherry Hopson, co-owner, Headliners Salon and Studio:

We need an understanding of what the ordinances are now. And maybe we need strengthened ordinances and more enforcement of the ordinances that are already there.

Kris Blondin, owner, Vin Grotto:

(World Vision) invites kids down to the area for a function – and that’s

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This isn’t the first time the Brick City building at 754 Pacific Ave. has attracted unwanted attention.

Last July 2, Verrick Vere Yarbrough shot and killed 18-year-old Rhaczio “RhaRha” Simms in a gang-related outburst of violence. A stray bullet also hit 17-year-old bystander Tiffany Walker, temporarily paralyzing her.

This summer, a jury convicted Yarbough to more than 60 years in prison. Here’s an excerpt from the article we ran about the sentencing:

Deputy prosecutor Gerry Costello said the time was justified. Yarbrough started a gunfight on a crowded public street,

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