Rumors have been flying through the Tacoma hip-hop community about dealings between El Potrero Night Club and local law enforcement. For over a month El Potrero has been under heavy scrutiny of the Tacoma Police, the Washington State Liquor Control Board, and the local Fire Marshall. This scrutiny culminated the weekend before Thanksgiving when the club was closed by an inspection by members of TPD, the Fire Marshall, and other authorities after allegedly failing to produce a valid business license and failing to be in compliance with fire codes. Although El Potrero was allowed to reopen the following Monday, police say as far as they know the club still doesn't have a valid business license.

Organizers from El Potrero, on the other hand, say they have always had a business license, the fire code violations were immediately remedied, most importantly that they are being unfairly profiled by the Tacoma Police Department and possibly others.

Recently the Volcano's Jose Gutierrez Jr. highlighted how El Potrero has opened its doors to hip-hop artists of all backgrounds. It is difficult for local hip-hop artists, particularly African-American artists whose songs address "street" culture to book shows in downtown Tacoma or at Sixth Avenue venues. El Potrero is the only venue in town that offers its stage to some of Tacoma's most popular emcees.

Organizers from El Potrero say that in late October someone claiming to represent the Washington State Liquor Control Board informed them they should not host live hip-hop music on weekends and that weekday performances should be completed by midnight. Concerts at other music venues commonly run until after 1 a.m. and obviously occur on weekends. Patrons of El Potrero's hip-hop events say police often drive by slowly many times a night when rap music is scheduled, even entering the club once with guns drawn.

When made aware of the situation at El Potrero, the State Liquor Board's Olympia-based Communications Department promptly interviewed the Pierce County-based employees who monitor East Tacoma, reporting to the Volcano that all employees claimed to have no knowledge of any concert, entertainment or liquor license related issues at El Potrero. The Liquor Board maintains that as far as they are concerned all the club's affairs are in order.

The Tacoma Police Department, however, says there are many legitimate gripes with the hip-hop events at El Potrero. Officer Lee Ramirez, the community liaison officer in El Potrero's East Tacoma zone, says there have been numerous reports of "serious gang activity and guns," and eyewitness confirmation of the selling of narcotics at the club's hip-hop events.

Despite these alleged eyewitness accounts of drug sales, the police did not formally act against the club until the weekend of Nov. 19, when they, accompanied by members of other of agencies as part of a routine inspection task force, discovered the fire zone violation and alleged lack of business license.      

Organizers and musicians running hip-hop shows at El Potrero say they are only trying to create a safe, law-abiding atmosphere in which to share their art and gather with friends. The group also works extensively with their church, and has run an after school program for kids out the same strip mall that houses El Potrero. They say local authorities made up their mind about the negativity of rap shows in East Tacoma before they had any idea what these shows entailed or who was planning them.

After hearing both sides of the story few conclusions seem safe. The stories being told by El Potrero and the Tacoma Police Department couldn't differ more. Without stoning our local blue, it is worth questioning why if so much gang activity has been "eyewitnessed" at El Potrero it took an unlawfully locked back door - a fire code violation - and an alleged business license issue  for TPD to take action. Representatives from El Potrero maintain the club was wrongly closed. The fact El Potrero was allowed to open again by Monday certainly raises questions on this front

The Tacoma Police Department says nightclubs and bars all over Tacoma are all routinely checked just as often as Portland Avenue's El Potrero and held to the same standards, but recent events are enough to make you wonder.

We will have more on this story if it continues to develop.