It's not crack houses, but "liquor houses," that are the subject of a law-enforcement campaign in Charlotte, N.C., the Charlotte Observer reported Oct. 17.

The modern speakeasies come in many forms, including homes where alcohol and barbecue are sold every weekend, to college frat parties, to underground nightclubs complete with bouncers and prostitutes. Related problems include drug use, litter, and violence. Charlotte police responded to three separate shootings outside illegal liquor houses in just one recent week; there have been at least six killings in and around such houses in the last two years.

"We're going to try the best we can to do an inventory of where these houses may exist," said Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Deputy Chief Dave Stephens said Monday. So far this year, more than 15 homes have been investigated as liquor houses in the Charlotte area.

Some operations are sophisticated, with dance floors and armed guards. But shutting them down is hard; if one house is raided, the party often just moves elsewhere. Investigators also have a hard time gathering enough evidence to justify a raid or making a case. Often, liquor houses don't even get the attention of police until violence occurs.