The Franklin News-Post
P. O. Box 250
310 Main Street, SW
Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151
540-483-5113
Fax: 540-483-8013
|
|
|
|
|
|
Staff Photo by Morris Stephenson:
Rocky Mount Assistant Town Manager Matt Hankins uses a display board to list the problems and possible solutions to loitering at businesses in Rocky Mount Plaza. |
Monday, October 19, 2009
By MORRIS STEPHENSON - Staff Writer
No-loitering signs and security guards were listed as possible solutions to the problem of teenage loitering at businesses in Rocky Mount Plaza Thursday afternoon.
Business owners say the biggest problem is after classes are dismissed in the evenings.
Eleven business representatives met with Rocky Mount officials and law enforcement officers from the town and the Franklin County Sheriff's Department.
Town Manager James Erwin said the town had received a lot of complaints about the loitering problem, noting that Rocky Mount Police Chief Eric Mollen had talked with the commonwealth attorney's office about ways to handle the situation.
"Our police officers have been doing all they can, but we're not a security force," he said. "I don't know the answer, but if we brainstorm here today, we may come up with a solution further down the road."
Larry McCarty, owner of McDonald's, said he felt "five percent of the students were causing 95 percent of the problem."
His daughter, Amanda Rucker, told of how a large group of students come in after school, buy a couple of large drinks and go outside. She said the students occupy the outside tables, sitting on top of them, smoking cigarettes and using vulgar language as they gather.
Both she and her father said they have ordered rowdy students to leave the premises on occasion.
Danielle Vesterso and Samantha Haley of Little Caesar's said they have not had a problem with loitering. However, they have experienced a lot of trash being left in the parking area in front of the store.
Joe Bassett, manager of Advance Auto, said it is embarrassing to be working on a car in front of the store and hear the vulgar language coming from students in the area of McDonald's.
U.S. Cellular also was having problems with students standing in front of the doorway to get out of the rain.
High school students also park their cars in the parking lot and leave them while they attend classes for the day. Frank Reeves, maintenance manager for The Covington Company, estimated between 25-50 students leave their vehicles in plaza parking lot during the school day.
The shopping center has experienced this problem in the past. "We notified school officials of the situation and that we were going to begin towing these cars," Reeves said. "Their (school officials) cooperation helped eliminate the problem."
Mollen noted that the property was private, and the business owners have the right to ban individuals from their property.
"We have the right to ban them (teenagers) for criminal acts, but you will have to ban them from your property," Mollin said.
Christopher Thompson, plaza manager, asked if (no-loitering) signs and video cameras would help.
The chief said large no-loitering signs needed to be placed at the entrances to the plaza and smaller ones in other locations thought the property.
The business representatives agreed to contact FCHS officials and request them to make announcements that loitering after school will be prohibited.
All locations within the plaza are closed after 11 p.m., with the exception of McDonald's drive-thru window, which is open all night.
Chief Mollen said this would help police officers in enforcing the no-loitering signs, especially late at night and in the early morning hours.
The chief said his department has never been successful in court in prosecuting "lower end charges," such as loitering. He said that any such cases, including traffic violations, would go through juvenile court.
Town police can write parking tickets for violations in the plaza parking area that amounts to a $25 fine, Mollin said.
Deputy Sheriff Jeff Saunders, a resource officer at FCHS, noted the school's resource officers have assisted in working with the problem. He said students were taking plaza parking spaces away from the customers.
Mollin also informed the businessmen that the town has a midnight curfew for young people if they are traveling alone or are not going to a specified place for a good reason.
McCarty said he has employed an off-duty officer to work for several hours on Friday evenings, noting he's had no problems since the officer was hired.
Mollin said he would talk to the commonwealth's attorney about signs and other possible enforcement measures. Officers will begin enforcement of the no-loitering signs after 11 p.m. and will continue patrols throughout the parking area.
"We're not going to back away from this," Ervin told the group. |
| |
|
|
|
