Category: Crime

Crime related posts

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Why Does a Restaurant Need Bullet Proof Glass

Don’t know and don’t care

It isn’t really about restaurants though.  It’s about Stop and Go stores that are operating with an LCB license for a restaurant.  If they did not have that license, they would not be selling beer and liquor by the shot.  So, if they are doing that in violation of the regulations, their license should be revoked.  End of story.

Well no, not in Pennsylvania.  For some reason the LCB finds it impossible to enforce that regulation.  It actually falls to the State Police and must be a low priority to them.  Why the LCB can’t do it themselves has never been explained.

There has been a lot of controversy over the bill sponsored by Philadelphia City Councilwoman Bass that attempts to do what the State and LCB have never done, which is regulate these stores.  Sounds like a good idea.  Somebody should do something.  However, included in the bill is a requirement to take down the bullet proof glass in those places.  That is an overreach that just clouds this issue.

I understand how people feel when they go into a place where the cashier is in a cage. It makes you feel like you are in an unsafe neighborhood.  Makes you feel unwelcome and untrusted.  It makes me want to stay away from that store and that is what people should do.

If people are robbing the corner stores at gunpoint, it is unsafe but its shouldn’t be the government who decides what a business needs.  If you don’t like the store with the bullet proof glass with the cashier in a cage, stay away.  When enough people do that, the business will go away too.

Here are some of the places in Frankford, operating with an LCB Restaurant license.

4705 Frankford Avenue – Terminal Deli – License R254

 

4507 Frankford Ave. – License R254

 

4738 Frankford Ave. – License R7670

 

1640 Bridge Street – License R263

 

 

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Councilman Oh at Northwood Civic

Councilman Oh stopped by the Northwood Civic meeting on November 21st and talked about his proposed legislation to help homeowners who have been victimized by squatters.  The system at present is an embarrassment in that squatters essential have a green light to steal you home.

One thing he pointed is that this is not a case of poor, homeless people who happen to find a vacant, open house to live in.  It is often a planned, organized assault on a house that is targeted because the culprits know how to play the system.  Once they break in to your property, you call the police and they decide they can’t determine who is in the right so you have to go to the expense of the legal system to get the bums out of your house.  Oh’s bill would simplify and speed up that process and put a penalty on the thieves.

When the bill came up for a vote in committee on November 6th, it was tabled for what were called legal concerns.  It is due to be tinkered with and then come up for a vote again.  Let’s hope it does.

In other news at the meeting, Terry Heiser continues to work on traffic issues in Northwood.  There is not doubt that his excellent work on this issue has resulted in improvements where for years no progress could be made.

The conservatorship of 1301 Wakeling after numerous court appearances went through and that property is being rehabbed and will go up for sale as a single family home.  No thanks to the owner, another blighted property is being improved.

The next meeting of the Northwood Civic Association will be on November 19th at Simpson Recreation Center, 1010 Arrott Street.

 

 

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Sugar and Spice

Sam Barqawi owned Sugar and Spice, the store on the NE corner of Frankford Avenue and Foulkrod Street for almost 25 years.   He was always very helpful to the police.  Yes the store was open all night and a magnet for trouble but he did his best to counter that by having the best surveillance system on the Avenue that helped identify quite a few criminals.  It was no secret and he was proud of it and would tell the drug dealers they weren’t welcome there.

He was honored by the 15th District Advisory Council in 2013 for his cooperation with the police and generous support of the PDAC over the years.

There is a new business at that location.  The new name is Lowi’s Market.

Thanks to Mark Montenaro for the tip.

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Crackdown Aims at ‘Stop and Go’ Liquor Sales

Philadelphia lawmakers are celebrating a bill aimed at cracking down on so-called “Stop and Go” establishments and its about time.  These places defy the LCB regulations and use restaurant licenses to open phone booth sized stores to sell beer and liquor and the LCB and State Police have been useless in making them comply with the regulations.  See the story from 6ABC at the link below.

Source: Crackdown aimed at ‘Stop and Go’ liquor sales in Philly | 6abc.com

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Killing Streets Update

To update the previous story available at this link:

Michael Jones, 25, (no picture available) was shot and killed on the 1500 block of Dyre Street right at the 7-Eleven on Frankford Avenue on September 12th at about 6:45 AM.  Kevin Robinson, age 20,  was arrested by Officer Hugo Lemos for this crime on October 4th.  He is being held at the Curran-Fromhold Corrections Facility.

He had previously been arrested on the 5200 block of Frankford Avenue on May 26th for a narcotics violation and on August 17 of 2016 for Robbery on the 4700 block of Griscom Street.

Follow this link to an interesting story about some new crime fighting tools and how the police solved this case.