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- Scranton Times-Tribune
Scranton, PA,
USA- 10 April, 2007
Incidents at
Woodlands raise security questions
The weekend shooting
at the Woodlands Inn and Resort that left one man wounded has
local police questioning if the popular entertainment complex is
doing enough to police itself.
Although the township does not receive many complaints from
residents about the hotel and entertainment venue on state Route
315, the establishment has become a nuisance in terms of call
volume, Plains Township Police Chief James O’Malley said Monday.
“We’re up there pretty much every weekend,” the chief said,
noting his officers respond to about 100 calls a year at the
Woodlands. “This weekend could have been a lot worse. There
could have been more people seriously injured or killed.”
Early Saturday, after getting into a brawl that got him tossed
from the Evolution night club, Ian Bradley Corbin, of Lewisburg,
allegedly went to his car, got a 9mm handgun and fired several
shots in the parking lot. One bullet hit Robert Roberts in the
shoulder.
Less than 24 hours later, Esteban Gamboa, of Levittown, was
arrested for elbowing township Officer Jason Ziolkowski after
Mr. Gamboa was removed from the Woodlands.
In January, Thiago Nunes Cardoso allegedly slashed Woodlands
security guard Paul Dougal in the face when Mr. Dougal attempted
to remove him from the club.
Chief O’Malley admitted “shots fired is kind of rare” at the
Woodlands, but calls police have responded to at the venue range
from sexual assaults to a kidnapping last summer. He believes it
is the Woodlands’ responsibility to police itself and would like
to see it hire a private security analyst.
“They could always do better,” Chief O’Malley said.
Woodlands CEO Gary Kornfeld pointed out Monday his security
personnel helped wrestle the gun away from Mr. Corbin and that
the gun was not inside the nightclub and the incident did not
take place inside.
“We had two incidents back-to-back this weekend that are more of
a coincidence than anything else,” Mr. Kornfeld said. “I think
we did a damn good job doing our job. I don’t think we’re a
nuisance.
“Certainly as far as Plains Township goes, we’re a primary
taxpayer. If the police get called and they have to come out,
that’s their job. Our tax dollars support the police.”
While Mr. Kornfeld said he is happy the shooting did not go any
further, he also disputes how many police calls are serious.
“Sometimes (police) are called when somebody scratches
somebody’s car,” Mr. Kornfeld said.
Scanning patrons with metal detectors is something the Woodlands
may consider, Mr. Kornfeld said.
“It’s a shame it would have to get to that point,” he said.
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