There's vibrant nightlife. And then there's vibrant but violent nightlife.

Other local cities have an eye on the continuing story of brawls busting out in downtown Walnut Creek at closing time on Saturday nights, while city leaders talk tough about a new ordinance to tighten a lasso around the problem.

Martinez Patch editor Jim Caroompas arched a brow at the downtown Walnut Creek problems. He viewed it from the vantage of a place that also has some civic hand-wringing over rowdiness sloshing out of downtown taverns …

From Caroompas' Morning Briefing: "We have our share of rough stuff, but nothing on the scale that Walnut Creek has suffered for the past year. It's no secret that, as a whole, Martinez is lower down on the economic scale than Walnut Creek. There is a sense that the more monied an environment, the safer it is. Recent history proves this perception incorrect. Whatever it is that makes those rowdies ready to rumble, let’s hope our city avoids the same fate. A vibrant night life can be a good thing, but it can have unintended consequences that might not be worth the extra dollars."

Also on the brawl beat — the Walnut Creek Police Association Facebook page has weighed in twice on last weekend's rumbles. The association urges the city to address the problem and back Police Chief Joel Bryden's call for the city to restore the positions of four officers and one lieutenant, coming back to the staff level of a decade ago when the downtown problems were smaller. Also, the association takes note that with three melees within an hour Sunday, the WCPD was stretched thin: "For over an hour there were no officers available to respond to any calls in the city."

KTVU TV showed prescience by airing a piece Friday about the policy debate on controlling downtown violence — a day before the most recent series of violence.

Take a Patch poll on the issue below. We realize the answers aren't mutually exclusive. You can state more nuance in your opinion in the comment stream way below. (But you already knew that, didn't you?)