The SPARlisted Convenience Stores

[uptowngirl]

.. has not been cooperative with JSO ..

How so? AGAIN- what is expected of the store owner? If JSO cannot get rid of these OBVIOUS hookers and drug dealers, what is expected of the owner.

[fsu813]

JSO has asked him to do certain things, as mentioned in a previous Shadco meeting.

[uptowngirl]

Why is it like pulling teeth to get info?

If JSO cannot send out the vice squad (or change the stupid rules around this!) to arrest these blantant drug dealers and hookers what can the store owner do? I mean if it is so very crystal clear that this is going on the police do not need anything from the owner, they can just do their job, and arrest these blatant law breakers right?

I do not really want to argue about this, I am just trying to get ya'll to see what the real issue is here and it is not this store owner, it is not even the store (as your issues with this area would be even WORSE if the store was not occupied). Focus on the core issue, focus on real steps to address the core issues. Trying to put this store out of business, and alienating neighbors in the process is not going to fix things, in fact it most likely will make it much, much worse. Even if you could accomplish this (which I doubt) you would just move the issue down or up one block burdening the residents in that area with additional activity. It is beyond me why we attack business owners for this activity and yet do not hold the police responsible (especially when you state the activity is so very obvious). If people are actually committing crime out in the open they can and should be arrested. What you may not know is we had been told several times by JSO that only vice can make these arrests (we were told this when we pushed to have the Shell station cleaned up) and there are only six or seven (we never got the same answer) vice officers for ALL of Duval County. Pushing the responsibility off to property owners imo is silly. If a JSO patrol officer cannot do anything then a property/business owner certainly cannot. If a JSO patrol officer cannot make these arrests due to liability and conviction processes, imagine what would happen to a business owner trying to address this issue on their own. Now they have dealers/criminals to fear AND litigation. Well lets just add one more- residents who find it easier to blame the business owner and want to just drive them out of business.

[fsu813]

If he did what JSO asked and/or did his best to be a good neighbor then I wouldn't have a problem with him, even if nothing changed. He'd be doing his best.

But that hasn't happened.

[uptowngirl]

OK I give up. You obvisouly do not understand what is really going on. Nor do you have any interest in the truth. You are right, the jerk should be all over any crime happening on the block (unlike you who has just as much responsibility to take action on this block). He should be out there harrassing people on the side walk all day and night (as should you who also lives on this block). He should do whatever JSO asks, so nothing will happen until the vice squad gets freed up enough to come and take some of these guys off the street to be replaced by new guys a couple of days later to wait through six months for vice to be free again. In the meantime between the two of you harrassing people to move along, the residents down on Hubbard, Walnut, and Ionia can look forward to increased activity in there area. OR even better yet maybe you can pull together those 20 people who are upset and ya'll can manage to somehow close down the store (which is doubtful) and have even more activity taking place there, since now you do not even have traffic coming in and out of the store, yet the same old issue of only vice can address this problem and they still aren't available because there is only so many to go around the whole county.

Brilliant, just brilliant.

[Dan B]

LOL- Dan B is NOT racist, I can vouch for that.

Thanks :-D

vacant homes AROUND the BP

This actually is a great point. That area is very empty, except the hud housing next door. That might be a better approach to addressing this corner.

[fsu813]

OK I give up. You obvisouly do not understand what is really going on. Nor do you have any interest in the truth. You are right, the jerk should be all over any crime happening on the block (unlike you who has just as much responsibility to take action on this block). He should be out there harrassing people on the side walk all day and night (as should you who also lives on this block). He should do whatever JSO asks, so nothing will happen until the vice squad gets freed up enough to come and take some of these guys off the street to be replaced by new guys a couple of days later to wait through six months for vice to be free again. In the meantime between the two of you harrassing people to move along, the residents down on Hubbard, Walnut, and Ionia can look forward to increased activity in there area. OR even better yet maybe you can pull together those 20 people who are upset and ya'll can manage to somehow close down the store (which is doubtful) and have even more activity taking place there, since now you do not even have traffic coming in and out of the store, yet the same old issue of only vice can address this problem and they still aren't available because there is only so many to go around the whole county.

Brilliant, just brilliant.

interesting spin. the business owner 'harrassing' people not to loiter, litter, have sex in his bathroom, throw bottles at residents, suspicious actvity (which is solved if loitering was enforced), etc. what a terrible notion. he should leave them alone.

or cooperate with JSO. that would help too.

but, like you said, i don't get it.

[Stenodave]

Public nuisances, harrassment and drunken behavior is a real problem in the neighborhood, i will admit.

It seems like there have been a lot of drunken ugly episodes with the usual suspects of SPAR lately.

Way to bring something to the table Stephen.  I like how you took the topic at hand and steered it to another shot at SPAR instead of talking about the issue.  +5 points for taking a cheap shot.  Feel better?

[cindi]

Are there pipes at the store? Maybe, also papers for sure (they even sale this stuff in this type of store in Queens Harbor.

really?  do you have the address of that store, because last time i heard, queen's harbor was a gated residential community - no stores, there is a yacht club there, are you suggesting that they have the makings for crack pipes on the counter there?

[nvrenuf]

The dealers and hookers that work that corner all around BP along with the squatters in the surrounding houses all depend on one thing...no one wants to get involved. The owner is doing his part to be complicit.

So far, and I hope he continues to do so, the owner at the Speedway at 8th & Perry does not let people hang out in his store or in front of it like the previous one did. He isn't disrespectful to anyone when he tells them they can't hang out. And he sweeps and picks up the trash.

But the reason I don't use the BP is because imo their gas prices are too high. I used it a couple times in desperation and none of the thugs or hookers bothered me, I apparently didn't look like I was interested in their wares. But even though the price hurt my wallet I used the store rather than giving anyone the pleasure of thinking they could run me off by "looking scary". F them.

As far as selling scales and other tools of the trade...well if you don't want carpenters in your store then don't sell hammers, nails and wood. Sure, they are all legal but you know they do tend to attract the people who might actually have a need for them on a regular basis. Personally, scales don't really strike me as a standard convenience item. Oh crap, I wanted to weigh my shrimp for dinner tonight, if only I had a scale.

Uptown Girl, do you have any details on the off-duty cop kidnapping story (when, where, who)? I'm not familiar with it and would be interested to read the story.

[fsu813]

or cooperate with JSO. that would help too.

[Dan B]

I used the store rather than giving anyone the pleasure of thinking they could run me off by "looking scary". F them.

I tend to live by this theory as well, both in my neighborhood shopping and MetroJax posting habits, but it doesnt make my wife feel any better about getting air in her tires after dark in the back corner of the building, or running in for a soda with the kids in the car.

[uptowngirl]

interesting spin. the business owner 'harrassing' people not to loiter, litter, have sex in his bathroom, throw bottles at residents, suspicious actvity (which is solved if loitering was enforced), etc. what a terrible notion. he should leave them alone.

or cooperate with JSO. that would help too.

but, like you said, i don't get it.
[/quote]

You just made my point for me- all the activity you complain about would be resolved if loitering laws were enforced. THAT my friend is the police's business. Last I checked the Police enforce the laws. All he can do is the same thing YOU can do which is ask people to leave and call the cops. Enforcement of the law is done by the law.

Cindi, show me a corner store that does not sell papers...please.

Again, I looked all over the store and did not see any scales.

NVR: Link to background on the case, the nephew now runs a his uncles store in the neighborhood:
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2003/January/03_crt_034.htm

[ChriswUfGator]

interesting spin. the business owner 'harrassing' people not to loiter, litter, have sex in his bathroom, throw bottles at residents, suspicious actvity (which is solved if loitering was enforced), etc. what a terrible notion. he should leave them alone.

or cooperate with JSO. that would help too.

but, like you said, i don't get it.

LOL. I'd rather have them acting like dicks at some gas station, that at the Woman's Club and public meetings.

[fatcat]

apparently I am late for the party. I was a customer of Mr. Sizmore when he had his shop in Springfield. I have not heard him complain about SPAR. In fact, the only mention he had about the hood was that it had come a long way.
Disclaimer: I am not a member or supporter of SPAR.