Controvery Continues Over Mosaic Church's Club Fathom

Mosaic Church Pastor Tim Reid explains his view: "I think there's tension and people want someone to blame for the crime, especially in tourist areas, and we're not that well funded. I guess we're an easy target."

For Mayor Littlefield it all boils down to responsibility. Just because a fight in the parking lot behind the building isn't in the club itself, he says that doesn't mean Fathom is fault-free.

"In this case, he should realize he's creating a dangerous situation. If he truly has a heart for young people he'd stop doing what he's doing," Littlefield said Tuesday afternoon.  Reid responds: "I'm not saying I'm not responsible for them all. I care about them all. But they're not all coming to our place. They're just hanging out at Coolidge and hanging out in the parking lots."

Next door the manager of Qdoba says at times the crowds can be overwhelming.  "I think the police need to keep a closer eye on it and the business owners need to have better supervision. Maybe have an age limit, make sure parents are keeping an eye on the kids if they're under a certain age," says manager Sarah Prince.

Pastor Reid says when an event's expected to draw a larger than normal crowd, he lets police officers know but city officials have asked them to stop cooperating with the Club. Mayor Littlefield says he wants to see an end to these weekend events.

"I would like to see the Mayor call for the churches to come downtown so we can work together," Reid said.  If a compromise isn't reached, Mayor Littlefield says the next step could be court-ordered closure.

There will be a Save the Youth concert at Club Fathom this upcoming weekend.  Pastor Reid has asked the Mayor to come see how small and well-behaved the Club's crowds really are.