BALTIMORE — A Baltimore City councilman wants the city to stop a spike in violent crime happening at gas stations. It comes after a man was shot and killed inside a northeast Baltimore gas station in December.
Baltimore city councilman Robert Stokes plans to introduce a resolution to open up a discussion with city officials to address the problem, as well as find ways to prevent violence from happening at businesses that have become known criminal hot spots.
In a city that has seen more than 300 people killed every year for the last eight years, one recent homicide triggered Stokes to want to do something about it.
He's introducing a resolution at Monday night’s city council meeting to address crime at gas stations.
Al Stevenson, 56, was murdered, and a 22-year-old was shot inside a BP gas station near Havenwood Road and Loch Raven Blvd in December.
Neighbors have called for the gas station to be shut down, citing police documents that show more than 80 calls were made to that location within the last 90 days, mostly for disorderly persons.
Kash Khan, one of the gas station's owners said they were responsible for making most of the calls, and that they've added additional security measures to keep customers and employees safe.
“I don't think that shutting down a business it doesn't help anybody it doesn't help the community it doesn't help the businesses we need to work together with the community and get stringent laws,” Khan said.
Stokes wants city leaders and elected officials to take action.
His resolution proposes representatives from the Baltimore city Police Department; the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE); the deputy mayor of public safety along with key community groups all work together on doing something to try and stop the recent rise in violent crime at gas stations throughout Baltimore city.
