In what Cleveland safety director Marty Flask is calling an "unfortunate coincidence," the city sent a poorly timed letter (pictured right) addressed to Cocktails Lounge owner Brian Lyons, warning that excessive police calls place "an undue and inappropriate burden" on the the taxpayers of Cleveland and the force.
Lyons and his staff have made tons of emergency calls lately, (i.e. two), that's for sure. Cocktails is the LGBT-friendly bar outside of which Jared Fox was assaulted last week. Then, a few days ago, a 13-year-old was arrested after juveniles were throwing rocks and shouting anti-gay slurs at Cocktails' patrons.
The city's letter cited nine instances in which police were summoned to 9208 Detroit Ave. "The estimated cost for the city safety forces...is approximately $100.00 per call," it reads. The final paragraph says that Cocktails has 10 days to prepare an "action plan" to eliminate the problems.
Except the letter's been rescinded. And thank goodness. Flask characterized the correspondence as sort of routine, citing 224 others like it that have been sent out to property owners this year.
"It's an early warning...to help prevent a location from becoming a 'nuisance property'" Flask told the PD. However, Mayor Jackson evidently noticed what a disastrous and illogical message the letter was sending and instead suggested that a working group be convened with the First District Police and the property owners to help combat the issues which necessitated the calls.
Which of course makes sense. Shouldn't this be standard procedure?
