Cleveland police sent a letter to a gay bar owner asking him to
stop calling so frequently after reporting two hate crimes.
Jared Fox was attacked by a mob of as many as 20 men on August 31
as he made his way to Cocktails Lounge on the city's west side. A
second incident involved a group of minors throwing large rocks, some
the size of cantaloupes, over the bar's wooden fence and at patrons
was reported a week later. Police detained a 13-year-old boy in
connection with the second attack.
The
Cleveland Leader reported that numerous calls to police were
placed about a group of loitering youth around the bar on the night
that Fox was brutally attacked and that a cruiser was not dispatched
before the altercation took place.
Days after the incidents, James Foster, the bar's manager,
received a letter from the city complaining that “repeated calls to
the same property place an inappropriate burden on the taxpayers of
the City of Cleveland and on our safety forces.”
“The estimated cost for the city safety forces to respond to
your property is approximately $100.00 per call for service.”
“I am confident that we share the same goal and that you will
take the necessary steps to eliminate the repeated calls for police
services to your property.”
The letter, signed by Director of Public Safety Martin Flask, gave
the bar 10 days to submit a plan “outlining your strategy to
eliminate the problems at this location.”
“Failure to address these issues, resulting in future calls for
police service, will be scrutinized for appropriate administrative or
law enforcement action.”
A police spokesman told ABC
affiliate WEWS that the letter's timing was an “unfortunate
coincidence” and was not in reference to the recent alleged hate
crimes.
“The city said that it's rescinding its letter,” WEWS
reported.