Padlock Order Lifted For Troubled Baltimore Gas Station
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The City of Baltimore has lifted the padlock order on a gas station shut down by authorities months back after it became a magnet for violent crimes, police announced on Monday.
The BP gas station, located at the corner of Windsor Mill Road and North Forest Park Avenue, will be allowed to start the reopening process on Tuesday after agreeing to make a host of concessions, including new management and beefed up security, to make the business safer, the city police department said in a news release.
City officials made the decision after the owner, Carroll Independent Fuel, agreed to sell the gas station business to a new dealer and that dealer vowed to revamp security measures at the property, according to the release.
RELATED: Baltimore Gas Station Shut Down After Years of Illegal Activity
"We were serious when we met in June to address the pervasive illegal activity that once took place at the (business). Closing it was the best sign of respect we could offer residents who endured its impact for many years," Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said in part.
A July 18 request from Carroll to reopen was heard during a public hearing held by Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis on July 27.
"The use of the padlock law is an absolute last resort for us, but we have an obligation to the citizens to use the tools at our disposal to address quality of life crimes," Davis said in the release. "For too long, the owners of the fuel station allowed it to be a hub for illegal activity. We believe that with this modified order, the community and businesses are now situated in a much safer environment than what existed in the past."
Since the closure, officials and police have worked with the ownership, the neighboring community and the new owners to provide a safer environment surrounding the business, the release said.
The gas station was shut down on June 21. Since 2014, police have responded to 3 assaults, 3 robberies, 2 shooting and 2 homicides -- just a some of the crimes reported at this location, city records show.
