CLEVELAND — Community activists in Cleveland's Buckeye neighborhood are demanding better security protocol, at what they call potentially hazardous businesses operating in their neighborhood.
East 128 Street Block Association leader Rob Render told News 5 his group has received numerous complaints about crime and police calls for service to the Sunoco gas station at East 130th Street and Buckeye Buckeye, and the Mt. Carmel Deli at East 110th Street and Mt. Carmel Road.
Render believes the business owners need to do a better job of policing their locations.
“It’s been one problem after another here, the drug dealing, people hanging out over there, the prostitution,” Render said.
“It's just like anything else, it has to do with management.”
Aaron Knuckles, Precinct 6 Chairman, told News 5 it's similar issues at the Mt. Carmel Deli, where there have been multiple reports of disturbances and shots being fired in the neighborhood near the 24-hour store.
“Last night about 2 o’clock in the morning you got gunshots, and we’re not talking about one or two we’re talking about gunshots,” Knuckles said.
“Well, they have to police their own property, I’m responsible for my property.”
“You can’t have this in Pepper Pike, you can’t have this in Beachwood, so why here?”
News 5 reached out to the owners of both businesses to get their side of the story, but so far, we haven't been given a response to the security concerns at their locations.
Ward 6 Cleveland Councilman Blaine Griffin said he'll now take steps to get all sides to the table to reach a cooperation agreement that should help officiate a solution.
"We want people to have good businesses in the neighborhood, but they’re going to have to do business the right way in our neighborhood,” Griffin said.
“I will work with the law department, reach out to the owners. I'll talk to some of their surrogates in order to put together a cooperation agreement.”
Meanwhile, Render believes all Buckeye neighborhood businesses have an obligation to the well-being of the residents and the entire community.
“I’m tired of people looking at Buckeye as nothing but a cash cow," Render said.
"Drain the life out of the community, and put nothing back into it.”
