ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Taking down an illegal nightclub is not as simple as rushing through the front door.
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After two men were killed outside an alleged illegal nightclub in Pine Hills Saturday morning – the second such shooting in four months – Orange County deputies are renewing calls for the governor to approve a proposed tool that would allow the takedowns to happen faster.
Deputies said approximately 100 illegal nightclubs are operating in Orange County today, ranging from businesses serving alcohol without a license to businesses misusing their licenses.
Lawmakers this year approved SB 1090, which would make selling alcohol illegally at any commercial establishment a third-degree felony. Penalties would increase for repeat offenders.
Read: Deputies identify two men shot near illegal after-hours business in Pine Hills
The governor has not yet signed it into law.
“It gives law enforcement a powerful tool to eliminate these dangerous clubs and safeguard our communities,” a spokesperson for Mina said.
It’s unclear if the Pine Hills nightclub had drawn enough attention to itself to be on deputies’ radar. Three calls for service were placed from that address since Jan. 1, but two were for alarms.
Read: Deputies: 4 injured in shooting outside after-hours club on OBT
The third was a disturbance call for a large party, deputies said.
The nightclub at the site of a shooting in December had been under observation for months, they reported at the time.
“We always encourage citizens to call law enforcement when they see suspicious or illegal activities occurring after hours, or at anytime, in their community,” the spokesperson wrote. “After-hours establishments typically operate past 2 a.m.”
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